Tanzetti: Legacy
by Tanzettigirl
Summary: Tanzetti part 3 Now bonded for life, Billy and Marcy travel to a remote planet to find the lost Caldyne refugees. But not everyone is happy with the return of the Tanzetti. When a new enemy attacks will the power of the Tanzetti be enough?
1. Taking Off

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

**A few quick words before I begin. First off, thank you blueninjettiranger for your kind reviews. You are definitely added to the most loyal fan list. **

**Second, one more thanks to Spy for suggesting that the Ninjetti and Tanzetti empires were related. I hope you don't mind my taking that and running with it. Feel free to do the same. If you haven't read either of Spyridon's Ninjetti series I suggest going over there and reading it, after you finish this of course. **

**Lastly, as a warning, I'm going no holds bar on Legacy. I held back a lot with the previous two stories, mostly because I was inexperienced in writing and wasn't sure of the fan response. Most people seemed to prefer a more "teenage" style love story. Well those days are over, this story will be much more adult and if I feel it opens the story up to cross a few lines I will do it. Billy and Marcy are adults now, and well, they're going to act like it. All scenes will be tasteful and conducive to the story, however, if you're easily offended, uncomfortable with adult content, or under 18 I suggest extreme caution with the following story. I'll be using the same code as Twilight writers, a Lemon chapter means contains sexual or adult content. Hope this isn't a problem for anyone, but I felt obligated to give fair warning. **

**Okay, so if there are no other problems, let's begin!! **

*****

Billy fell back against the pillows, the sweat pouring down his face, his heart beating nearly out of his chest.

"God, I'm dying," he whispered. "I could go the rest of my life without doing that again and I won't miss it."

He heard Marcy's soft laughter and felt the heat of her body roll against him, half of it resting across his. "You won't be saying that in fifteen minutes."

He sighed and closed his eyes. She was right. Every since their bonding her very presence was like a drug to him. When he was away from her he could still sense her, and the pull to be near her was insatiable. Even when they were together he couldn't get enough. The touch of her body, the comfort of her voice, the constant awareness of her mind. She said it would get better over time, he'd learn to control his emotions and his body would adjust to the changes the Tanzetti crystal and the bonding magic had done to him. At the moment however, he couldn't think of living any other way than like this.

"We should get some sleep," Marcy said. "Tomorrow's a big day."

She was right about that too. Tomorrow they were teleporting to Aquitar, and from there to the Caldyne refugee camp he'd found for her. It had taken a week for them to prepare to leave. Billy had expected her to want to go right away, but Marcy hesitated. She didn't want to show up on her family's doorstep completely unprepared. So they had the Aqutian Rangers go in and make contact first to set the stage for their arrival.

There wasn't much to worry about in the way of hostility though. The Caldynians were more than happy to welcome back a Tanzetti warrior. The Aquitians hadn't mentioned the bonding to them, Marcy wanted to be able to do that in person.

Billy felt Marcy shift next to him. She rolled away until she was facing away from him. He rolled onto his side and pulled her against his chest, and fitting her hips into his, his hands automatically drifting to the lower curve of her breasts. Marcy let out a small sigh and relaxed in his arms, but he couldn't sleep yet. From where he was he could see the large suitcase they'd packed together for their trip. He'd moved nearly all of his clothes to Marcy's house the last month. Of course that hadn't been completely his choice. His father's house wasn't the most welcome place right now.

His father. Billy felt a twinge of guilt over the whole situation. After the bonding he'd gone back home and told his father everything. He'd already told him some about the Power Rangers four months earlier, when he went to Aquatar for a month to help Cestro in the war. His father knew he was still involved with the Rangers, but he didn't know Marcy was back in his life, and Billy regretted not letting his father in on that fact because when he got to the part about Marcy and the bonding, well that hadn't gone well.

"How could you have done something so stupid!" Hank Cranston had shouted.

"It wasn't stupid. I knew what I was doing."

"What about your future?" his father asked. "You have too much potential, too much opportunity to just throw away on this girl."

"I'm not throwing it away!" Billy shouted back, his anger fueled by his magical need to protect Marcy. "She wants me to go to college. She'll come with me wherever I go. I can still do everything I wanted to do. Nothing has to change."

"Everything will change," Hank said. "Marriage changes your priorities. Everything you do will be divided now. God Billy, how could you have done this to yourself?"

"If that's they way you feel then you can just forget about me," he said, his new powers and clouded emotions fogging his more logical thought. "I'll be out by the end of the week. You'll never have to see us again."

And with that he'd teleported away in a flash of blue lightening.

After he'd calmed down he regretted being so harsh. He'd gone over twice more to try and see his father, but Hank refused to answer the door. He could have teleported into the house, but after everything he'd said he felt that was too much just now. He only teleported into his own room for clothing and a few other things. He always left a note when he came in case his father checked his room. Every time he went back the notes were still there on his desk untouched. So he'd resorted to calling several times a day, never getting an answer but always leaving a short message. His last message had been the day before when he'd told his father about them leaving for the Caldyne camp and that he wouldn't be back for at least a month. They'd planned to be gone no more than two months because the fall semester at CalSci started then. Marcy had already bought a small condo near campus to stay in while he was in school. She was still insisting he spend at least a semester in the dorms, and he was adamant that was unnecessary. It was one of the few things they didn't agree on, but Marcy had been through college twice now and told him it was an important experience, and one he may not get a second chance at like she did.

At least he wouldn't be too far away in Los Angeles. He could come back to Angel Grove and try to see his dad again. He hoped that if his father saw him in college and doing well he might soften a bit to the whole situation.

The pressure of Marcy's hand on his brought him back to reality.

"He'll come around," Marcy said softly. "He loves you. If he didn't he wouldn't be so angry."

"I hate leaving him like this," Billy said.

He knew she could feel the sadness through their bond. He struggled to tamp it down, not wanting to hurt her, but she squeezed his hand harder, knowing that if he resisted the emotion instead of releasing it, he would only suffer more later.

"You don't have to come with me tomorrow," she said. "You could stay here, go back to your dad."

He pulled her closer, the thought of her being thousands of light years away scaring him even more than the thought of never seeing his father again.

"I can't," he said. He didn't need to say more, or to explain why, she knew, the suggestion had been just as painful for her, but she loved him too and needed to make him happy. "We'll figure it out when we get back. You're right, he'll come around eventually."

He snuggled closer to her and let his body relax, but he was still too high-strung from his thoughts to sleep.

"Tell me a story," he said.

He felt the vibrations in his arm as Marcy laughed. "Alright, what story do you want?"

"Tell me about the Eltar wars. How the Tanzetti tried to save the Ninjetti."

"That's a sad story," Marcy said. "It ends badly."

"I don't care," Billy said. "I like it. It's part of both our histories. The Power Rangers came from the Ninjetti."

"The Ninjetti and Tanzetti allies again," Marcy said. "When we get to Caldyne we need to make sure the storytellers add that to the story. It makes for a much better ending."

Marcy rolled over to face him, and he relaxed into the pillow and closed his eyes. She was a very good storyteller. He'd heard the story of the Eltar war against Rita and Lord Zedd a million times now It was a story Zordon had never told them, but he didn't blame his former mentor. As Marcy said, the story ended badly. Zordon, betrayed by his best friend, the Green Ranger and banished into a dimensional warp, then the Green Ranger taking up with Rita, getting betrayed by her and losing the Green Power Coin. He'd asked Zordon about it after the first time Marcy told him the story and the only thing the old Mage had said was, "The Caldyne storytellers have long memories."

Billy pushed those thoughts aside and closed his eyes as Marcy began speaking. She stroked his hair while she talked, her voice light and lilting, as if the story were speaking through her, not just coming from her. "There were six bearers of the Ninjetti Power Coins. The leader was Zordon, the Red, then his wife, Cerea, the Pink, and her sister Madala, the Yellow-"

"You were named after her," Billy said softly.

"Yes," Marcy said. "Quiet, let me tell the story. Then there was Tragus, the Black, and Dunclan, the Green, who was Zordon's best friend, and second in command of the Ninjetti…"

*****

Marcy expected it to smell like salt, but it didn't. She stood in the main Command Chamber on the base of the Aquitian Rangers. They'd only been here an hour, but already the dread in her stomach was threatening to turn violent. Billy and Cestro were in the corner checking the coordinates. Despite the fact that the Aquitian Rangers had teleported to the site of her people's camp twice now, Billy still insisted on double checking every figure.

Finally satisfied, Billy stood up and nodded to his old friend. He crossed the room her, smiling, but she could feel the nervous tension he was hiding below the surface.

_At least his emotions are more under control_, she thought. He was taking to the change well. The first few days had been the hardest, for both of them. The sudden surge of emotional and mental connection had broken down the discipline he'd needed to control his powers. Which in turn made him frustrated and self conscious when he lost control, or got upset. But now, after two months, he was much better control of himself and his powers seemed to be developing fine. They'd been practicing together in desert near the cave where the crystals were hidden. He could create forcefields easily, and throw lightening with near perfect accuracy. His time as a Ranger and his work in martial arts gave him the strength he needed to wield the powers with ease.

He was still practicing with Tommy as well. Their style of mind and body together was perfect for helping him keep focus. Marcy encouraged him as much as she could. He needed his friends, his own life, he always would. That was the reason she'd insisted he apply for college in the fall, and not wait another year like he wanted. He needed the focus, he needed a normal life, and so did she.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Marcy cringed and let the fear show on her face. "No," she admitted. "It's been ten years."

Billy smiled and gently brushed her face with his hand. "It will be fine. Ten years isn't so long to your people."

"Our people now," she said.

He looked down but still nodded. It was impossible to deny the changes that had been made in him. Marcy could already feel it. His heart rate was slower, his reflexes faster, his muscles stronger. Other tests at the Command Center proved it. His metabolism was higher, and his cells were regenerating faster. Zordon was sure he was likely to live a life span much closer to Marcy's people, who lived well over two hundred years barring serious injury or disease. Despite the fact that he was training harder, not to mention an increase in other…physical activities he hadn't sustained any injuries or succumb to fatigue. Marcy knew that as long as he kept up his training, he wouldn't. The crystal would prevent most minor injuries and he would soon be learning how to heal more serious ones. She knew the thought of outliving his family and friends by at least a century was heartbreaking, but she couldn't help finding comfort in the fact that he would live on with her. Losing him to age or disease after only a few decades had been one of her greatest fears when they'd first gotten together. For her it was hopeful, for him, it was bittersweet.

"Our people," he repeated confidently. He took both her hands in his and waited until she looked up at him. "We're ready, Cestro."

She kept her eyes on Billy as the hum of the machinery around them increased. She felt the electronic zing in the air around them but didn't let go of his hands. The static swirled around her, breaking her body into raw energy then reassembling it light years away. When the static died away they were standing in the middle of a forest. Trees of all shapes and sizes swayed in the gentle breeze. Marcy took her first breath and the sweet smell of green leaves and vines filled her lungs.

She looked over and could see Billy felt it too. There was life in this place, an air that rang with nature and growth. She felt herself smile and her shoulders relaxed with her next breath as Billy's grip tightened around her fingers.

She was home.

Then there was a high pitched whistle that rang through the air behind her. The light flashed before she heard the crash. She turned toward the sound instinctively and her vision was blurred by a screen of blue blocking out the fire that rained down on them.

*****

**As always, reviews are welcome!! **


	2. Comming Home

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

*****

Marcy couldn't see much beyond the force-field Billy had pulled up, but she knew something wasn't right. The pattern of the shots was wrong. They were well outside the boundary of the force-field. She concentrated for a minute and between the shots she could hear the voices. Then the bullets stopped.

"Billy, drop the shield," she said.

"They're attacking us!"

They were standing back to back and she reached over and touched his arm. "It's just a warning. Trust me. Drop the shield."

Billy hesitated several seconds more, then dropped the shield. Marcy stepped forward, holding in her mind the old words, the language of Caldyne, of the Tanzetti.

"Peace be your weapons," she shouted. "Tanzetti come forth!"

There was some indistinct shouting and rustling in the brush in front of her, then a man appeared, bursting out of the low branches and coming to a stop the second he saw her. Her heart stopped the sight of him. He was tall and lanky, and his clothes were old and worn. His brown hair was longer than she remembered, but his face was the same. Ten years hadn't aged a day on his olive toned skin.

"Dracos?"

She ran toward him and he met him halfway across the meadow. The next thing she knew she was being gathered up in his arms and swung around.

"It's good to see you again, Sister," he said. Then suddenly remembering formality he let her go and stepped back. He fell to one knee and said in a loud voice. "I mean. 'Hail, Tanzetti! Peace be welcome here!'"

"Get up, you fool," Marcy laughed. When Dracos was on his feet again she heard rustling all around her and slowly men and women started filtering out of the trees. Most of them carried weapons of some kind. It was an odd mix of homemade swords and bows and arrows as well as plasma pistols, likely the ones firing at them only moments before.

Another man stepped up from the crowd and approached. He was tall, and well built. His arms were large and taut with muscle and his legs were even wider, showing powerful corded muscles through the thin cloth of his pants.

"I hope you'll forgive our unkind greeting," he said. "We had to know it was you. After the Aquitians found us so easily we've been rather cautious about our vulnerability."

Marcy felt herself smile. "Lucien," she said. "Surely you know the Aquitians found your place because I gave it too them."

Lucien shook his head. "I don't read minds like you, Sister. I can trust only what I see with my own eyes."

Marcy held out a hand to him, palm down. "The Tanzetti forgive you, and so does your little sister."

He took her hand and kissed it once, then released it. It didn't pass her notice that the hand was covered by a heavy glove, preventing any chance of her reading the bearer's thoughts. She was about to say something when she was suddenly aware of confusion in the back of her mind and realized she'd completely forgotten about Billy. He had no idea what the customs were here, or who these two men were.

The confusion must have read on his face as well because Dracos spoke up before she could. "And who is your traveling companion? The Great Tanzetti needs a bodyguard now?"

Marcy smiled and turned to Billy. She reached out and took his hand, sending as much reassurance into him as possible. "This is Billy Cranston," she said. "He's my bond-mate."

Both of her brothers' jaws dropped. Dracos was the first to recover. He stepped past her and clasped Billy by both shoulders, pulling him into an unexpected hug. Waves of tension and awkward confusion washed over Marcy, but all she could do was laugh. "Welcome Brother," Dracos said. "It is good my sister has found a worthy match."

"Easy, Dracos," Marcy said. She took Billy's hand and gestured to the two men. "Billy, I'd like you to meet Lucien and Dracos Salana, my brothers."

Dracos was still smiling. Lucien, she noticed, was not as naïve as their younger brother. He kept his face straight but even without touching him Marcy knew there was more suspicion than rejoicing going on behind those eyes. Lucien had never been one to act irrationally, or to take anything at face value. She would have a lot more to explain to him before he would rejoice over the situation.

"Come to the village with us," Dracos said. "Mother is waiting."

*****

Overall Billy was impressed with the village. Dracos had told him that only three of the ten ships survived the escape, leaving only about 75,000 people. But the Tanzetti had planned well. The planet they chose had an abundance of natural recourses. Sturdy trees that made boards for houses and workshops, an iron mine a few miles away, soil rich in minerals that was good for farming, and even a hot spring that was a perfect supply of fresh water.

In the ten years that had past since abandoning their planet the Caldyne people had build at least a hundred structures over a three mile radius. Plus two of the three ships were still standing, the village was built up around them. From what Dracos said, they had lived out of the ships the first year while building the homes and other structures needed, then slowly moved out over the land. Once the ships were no longer living quarters it was decided that the components were too valuable to waste. Two of the ships were kept in tact as power sources and housing of the community's governmental needs. The third ship was cannibalized to support other needs of the village.

Even with Dracos's vivid descriptions Billy was shocked as they entered the village. The massive bulk of the two ships was an impressive site on its own, but as they came to the town square he was floored by the majesty of them.

They were twin giants at least twelve stories high and made of smooth grey steel. The mid-day sun reflected off the metal sending waves of gold and copper down the western side of the ships. The gangway to each opened to the square and there were guards in simple uniforms standing at the foot of each ramp. At first Billy thought they were security, but when he saw someone pass out of the eastern ship a red light flashed from the doorway. No, the guards were for show.

"Here we are," Dracos said as they entered the town square. "Everyone's expecting you."

Billy was beginning to like Dracos. He could feel the affection Marcy had for her younger brother and so far didn't disagree at all. He was smart and had a way with words. The village was exactly as he'd described it, right down to the way the flagstones were arranged at the center of the square.

Lucien however, was a different story. He walked several paces behind their group and didn't speak once on the walk into town. Marcy noticed the silence as but didn't comment on it. Billy also didn't miss the fact he had avoided touching her. Whatever he was thinking it wasn't about welcoming the Tanzetti home.

A small crowd was gathering as they entered the square. No one said anything as first but Billy could see the people whispering to each other as they came closer, encircling them around the flagstone centerpiece. Dracos stepped up on the stones and shouted.

"The Tanzetti have returned to Caldyne!"

A cheer went through the crowd at that nearly shook the ground. Then there was another shouting and Billy could see the crowd part as a tall thin woman pushed her way to the front. She had flowing hair that was charcoal black and fell well past her hips despite being pinned behind her head with an elaborate clip. She stopped when she reached the front of the crowd and stood stock still, not saying a word.

"Mother?" Marcy said softly.

The woman pressed her lips together, but the action did nothing to stop the trembling. Marcy rushed forward and gathered her mother in her arms.

"My baby had some back from the dead!" the woman said softly.

Marcy stepped back and the woman cupped her face in both hands. They stood there regarding each other for several minutes, then the woman looked over at Dracos and noticed Billy for the first time.

"Who is this?"

"Mother," Marcy said. "This is Billy."

Dracos jumped off the rock and landed right next to Billy. He swung an arm around his shoulders and said, "She's bonded, Mother."

The older woman's eyebrows went up just slightly and she looked back and forth from Marcy to Billy. The whispers in the crowd got louder. Billy felt his stomach clench. He knew that for Marcy's mother it wasn't merely the shock of her daughter taking a bond-mate. Marcy's father, her husband, had been the bearer of the blue crystal. Finally, however, the mother straightened herself and walked proudly up to Billy and held out her hand palm up.

"Of course we're happy to welcome any worthy warrior to the family."

He wasn't sure what to do, but it seemed obvious the next move belonged to him. He carefully placed his hand into his new mother-in-law's and spoke slowly.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm honored by your warm welcome."

The woman smiled and squeezed his hand gently. Then she turned to the crowd. "We feast tonight!" she shouted. "The Tanzetti have returned home. We must celebrate!"

Another cheer went through the crowd, but they dispersed quickly as Marcy's mother turned, still holding his hand, and began leading him away.

"I'll show you to my home so you can freshen up," she said. "I'm anxious to hear what my daughter has been up to, and to get to know my newest son."

He felt Marcy's presence behind him as they walked the streets, navigating the crowd, but he couldn't see her at all. She was trying to think positive, send as much reassurance through the conduit between them as possible. But he could tell she was just as nervous as he was to see what her family would do once they reached the sanctity of their own home.

*****

**I know this is a short chapter, but it was necessary. The next chapter is really long and one of my favorites. I don't know if I'll be able to wait to post it. I guess we'll see. **

**Don't forget to review!!**


	3. Seer

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

**Okay, this was by far one of the best chapters to write. I really hope you all enjoy it! Oh, and I hope you guys are reading the chapter titles, because they're really important to the theme of the chapter. **

*****

Katrin Selana kept a warm home. The furniture was rustic, but comfortable, and from the moment you stepped in the doorway you were assaulted with the smell of baked goods and fresh fruits. Nearly all the anxiety Billy had been feeling since leaving Aquitar melted away as he stepped over the threshold, which was a shock because Katrin herself was a rather foreboding presence.

When they entered the house a young woman with short blonde hair and a sharp cut face stood from the couch in the front room. Katrin introduced her at Pelena, Lucien's bond-mate. The woman smiled curtly when Billy was introduced and only gave a slight raise of the eyebrows when Katrin mentioned he was Marcy's bond-mate.

The awkward introductions were brought to a halt by the entrance of Marcy and Dracos, followed closely by Lucien. Marcy paused when she saw the scene in the living room.

"Pelena!" she said. She stepped forward, arms raised for an embrace. "You look amazing."

"As do you, Sister," Pelena said in a strained tone. She took a step back when Marcy approached her. "Back from the dead, I see."

Marcy stopped short. Billy could feel the shock radiating through their link. Marcy turned and looked at Lucien, but he only turned away and headed for the kitchen area, just off the front room.

"Am I missing something?" Marcy said.

"Of course not," Pelena said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just the last ten years."

"Pelena!" Katrin cried out, but Marcy put a hand up to quiet her mother.

"You think I abandoned you?"

"Of course not, Madala," she said. "I'm sure you've been suffering just as much these last ten years as we have." She threw a quick glance in Billy's direction then went back to Marcy. "You've even brought the proof with you."

Marcy's eyes flashed as she stared down her sister-in-law. "If you think for one second-"

"Enough." Katrin's voice boomed through the room. "Madala is a Tanzetti warrior and a member of this family. You will give her the chance to explain herself."

Pelena took a deep breath. Her shoulders relaxed but her eyes were still sharp on Marcy. "Fine then," Pelena said calmly. "I'll listen to what the Tanzetti has to say."

Then she lifted her skirts gracefully and crossed to one of the overstuffed chairs and set herself in it. Katrin took Marcy by the shoulders and led her to the couch. Both women sat down and Billy realized that once again he'd been forgotten.

Marcy stood up suddenly but Katrin was quicker.

"Dracos, why don't you show you're new brother around while Madala and I catch up?"

Billy felt a hand clasp on his shoulder. "Come on then," he said. "We know when we're not wanted."

He led Billy down a hallway to the back of the house. There were several other bedrooms, then the hallway opened up into a large room that was lined with cabinets and long counters. Where there weren't cabinets there were large windows that let in the mid-day sun. Dracos said it was the clinic and Billy suddenly remembered that Marcy's mother was a healer.

"Billy," Dracos said suddenly, as if to just fill the silence. "That's an interesting name. Is it common on your planet?"

Billy shrugged. "Common enough, I guess. It's short for William."

"William," Dracos repeated with a breathless grace that shocked Billy a little. Billy glanced over and saw he was facing a cabinet of bandages, but his eyes were somewhere very far away. "What does it mean?"

He had to think for minute at that. He'd looked up his name meaning a million times as a child but hadn't thought about it in years. "Protection."

"William," Dracos repeated wistfully. "I like it. May I call you that?"

Billy shrugged again. "Sure."

Dracos blinked and looked at Billy, as if seeing him in a new light. "They said the planet you came from was called Earth," Dracos said suddenly. "What's it like?"

Billy was hesitant to answer the question full on. Things on Earth were very different from Caldyne. Marcy had explained some of the differences but he was a little worried that his answers would bring more questions and confusion.

"What did the Aquitians tell you?"

"I didn't get to meet them. They mostly talked to Mother and Lucien. He's captain of the guards, you know? Very important."

Billy nodded. He heard the tone of decent in that comment. Obviously Dracos was the brother in the shadows compared to his siblings.

"Earth is nice," he said, changing the subject. "It's very different from here."

"But you still have bonding," Dracos said. "And warriors. Lucien said you were a Ninjetti."

"That's right," Billy said. They talked a bit about the Ninjetti history, and Billy discovered Dracos knew nearly as much about it as he did.

"Oh," Dracos said suddenly. "I nearly forgot. I have something for you."

He walked to a far cabinet and opened the lower doors. Slowly, he pulled out a box and carried it to the table. It was wrapped in thick twine, which Dracos untied gingerly then lifted the lid. Inside were several neatly folded articles of clothing. He lifted each one out in turn.

"Its father's old uniform," Dracos said. "I suppose it belongs to you now."

Gently, Billy lifted each piece and examined it. The shirt and pants were a deep blue and made of a material that felt a lot like silk, only much thicker. There was also a leather vest and belt and matching wrist guards. In the bottom of the box laid a pair of thick knee-length boots.

"It's very nice," Billy said.

"You should try it on," Dracos said.

Billy was tempted, but he was also hesitant to do anything that would offend his hostess. "Maybe later," he said. "When Marcy has hers."

Dracos nodded and slowly refolded the clothes into the box. When he was done he picked it up. "I'll have it taken to your room," he said then walked away.

Billy started to follow but Dracos disappeared down the hallway faster than he could see and he found himself alone in the clinic. He walked around the room a bit, looking through the glass fronted cabinets at the various medical supplies. It surprised him how similar they were to Earth supplies, although logically it shouldn't. Their bodies weren't so different so why should their medicine be? Perhaps people didn't evolve so differently after all.

He was browsing a shelf full of medical books when he realized he wasn't in the room alone. He turned and saw a small girl with well-tanned skin and hair as black as night. She had large green eyes very similar to the ones he looked into on a daily basis.

The girl didn't say a word, just stared at him with those eyes. She couldn't have been more than seven or eight, but the way those eyes took him in, like they could tell all he was worth in one glance, and the way she stood there, tall and silent and fearless, he wondered if she was maybe much older.

"Hello," he said trying to keep his voice friendly, they way you should when talking to a child. He felt foolish as soon as he said it though and tried to sound more serious. "Who are you?"

The girl didn't say a word, but she did take several steps until she was closer to him. Without a word Billy found himself kneeling in front of her, those eyes commanding him the same way their older counter part could.

When her hands touched his face he didn't flinch. He didn't know how, but he expected it. He had no idea who this girl was but he knew that with that one touch she now knew everything about him.

She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Its okay. They scare me too."

"Chelea!"

They both jumped and Billy saw Lucien standing in the doorway of the clinic, a look of horror spread on his face. Pelena was at his side in seconds followed by Marcy and Katrin. Marcy took one look at the situation and her face was in shock. She approached Chelea and the girl turned as Marcy knelt in front of her. She took the little girl's hands and looked her in the eye. Then it was Chelea's turn to look horrified. The girl jumped and tried to run away but her aunt had a hard grip on her wrists.

"I'm sorry," Chelea said. "I'm sorry!"

"You saw that?" Marcy asked.

The girl nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't mean it," she said. "I didn't…"

Marcy pulled the girl in close and stroked her hair. "It's okay," she said. "You didn't do anything wrong. You can't help what you see."

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"It's okay," Marcy cooed. "It's not your fault." She held the child for several moments, until she was calm enough to stand on her own again. Marcy kissed the girl's hand then stood back up. "You go play now."

The little girl wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, threw a cautious glance at her parents, then ran from the room.

*****

"How long have you known?"

Marcy paced the kitchen of her mother's house. Not back an hour and already there were more problems than she could handle. Lucien stood against the counter, Pelena behind him standing stiff. At least Marcy knew why they were so hesitant to be around her.

"About two years," Lucien admitted. "Since she was six."

"Six," Marcy said with a laugh. "Grams was fourteen."

"And you were four," Katrin said sharply. She was standing against the opposite counter. Her arms crossed in front of her as she watched her two oldest children.

Marcy shook her head and continued pacing. As she reached the edge of her walking space and turned she caught a glimpse of Billy sitting at the kitchen table. His face was calm and he didn't say a word. They only feelings he let out were of support. Whatever she decided to do next he would side with her. That was all he could give her at the moment.

Marcy stopped walking and reached for calm. She brought her fingers together at her chin and closed her eyes, something her grandmother had taught her to do. She reached for that, the spirit of her grandmother, of all the women of this family who'd been given this burden to bear.

"It is what it is," she said. They were the exact words Grams had said when she'd had her first vision. "She can see. She's destined to be a Tanzetti."

Pelena let out a cry and Lucien grabbed her by the shoulders before she could collapse. "Madala, please."

"There's nothing I can do, Lucien," she said. The truth was she wanted to do something. She wanted to be able to take the gift away. She would have given anything to take that burden from Chelea. Her niece was only eight, but she was destined to be a Tanzetti. Some time in the next twenty years, Madala was going to have to pass on the power. She knew it would come one day, but she hadn't expected it to be so soon. But that was a thought for another time.

She crossed the kitchen and Pelena jumped out and grabbed her.

"Please don't take my daughter!"

Marcy froze, the woman she'd once considered her friend clutching her arms, the tears running freely down her face.

"Is that what this is about?" Marcy said. She didn't really need to ask, she could feel it in Pelena's thoughts. The woman was desperate and scared and had been for a long time. "That's why you've been so cold to me? Where would I take her?"

"Grams took you," Lucien said. "She took you away all the time."

"And she brought me back," Marcy said. It was true her grandmother had taken her away on a regular basis, but to her it had been a normal routine. Grams had known what a burden being an empath was and her solution was to take time to get away, to re-center. It never occurred to Marcy that that action may have had a negative impact on her brothers.

"What about the others here?" Lucien said. "What is everyone going to say?"

"They'll say you've been blessed," Katrin spoke up. "They'll say you're daughter will be honored as a Tanzetti warrior."

Pelena shook her head. "She's just a little girl."

Marcy took her friend's arms and spoke softly. "It will be years before she'll take the mantle. There's plenty of time-"

But Pelena was already pulling away from her. "No. I can't." She pushed and Marcy found herself stumbling into the counter. "You can't have her. I won't let you."

Then she ran from the house. Lucien followed and Marcy saw Billy jump to his feet, but she was faster. She followed her brother out of the house and into the street. It was dark and empty, most of the community was headed for the festival.

"Lucien, wait!" Marcy ran up behind her brother and reached out for him just as he turned on her. "There's no danger to Chelea. I can help her."

"We waited," Lucien said. His voice was dark, it was a tone she hadn't heard from him before.

"Excuse me?"

"We waited for you. All of us. For months we waited." In the semidarkness she could just make out the features of his face, it was dark, foreboding. His eyes were distant as if looking beyond the darkness and into the past. "'The Tanzetti will come,' we said. But they didn't. No one came to rescue us, to take us home. We had to learn to rely on ourselves. I created the guard to protect us. Others rose up to organize building and farming, school even. We did this. We built this. And here you come after ten years back into our lives and want to take it all away."

Marcy shook her head. "No, Lucien. I don't want to take anything. I don't even have to be here. I came here to see you, and mother and Dracos. I'm going back to Earth with Billy."

"You're not here to stay?" he asked. "You're not here to rebuild the Tanzetti?"

"No, Brother," she said. "I don't want to take anything away from you here. I want to be a part of this, someday, but I owe Billy something first. We have a life back on Earth…plans, a future. Even if I didn't, you know I would never take away something you've worked so hard to build."

"And Chelea?"

Marcy pressed her lips together tight and thought before answering. She didn't know what to do about the girl. "I'll figure something out."

"You'd better, Madala," Lucien said. "I won't see this world crumble under the Tanzetti like the last one."

Then he turned and disappeared into the dark street.


	4. Festival

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

**I'm working on pictures of the Tanzetti uniforms. I'm thinking a cross between the Ninjetti uniforms from the movie, and something out of Pirates of the Caribbean. Haha! Marcy in a corset! **

*****

The community went all out for the festival. Within hours they had erected several tents in the town square, set out tables and chairs and a dais with a podium, and food, more food the imaginable in a single space. A band was sitting on the dais playing songs Billy had never heard before, but somehow felt familiar and fun. And the whole village seemed to be there. There were more people than he could imagine milling about the square. A space in front of the band had been cleared for dancing and it was filled to capacity with people of all ages enjoying the revelry.

He stood just inside the tent entrance. Before leaving Katrin's house he'd changed into the Tanzetti uniform Dracos had shown him. Katrin had sent him to one of the back bedrooms to freshen up before leaving and he'd found the uniform neatly laid out on the bed.

He felt Marcy approach behind him and slip her hand into his. "What do you think?" she asked.

"They know how to throw a party," Billy replied. She'd changed into a uniform of a Tanzetti warrior as well. A scoop neck shirt of the same silk-like material as his, only in a deep pink, almost magenta. Her middle was wrapped in a tight leather bodice of the same brown leather as his vest, with similar woven lacing down the front. Her pants matched the shirt and tucked into high leather boots that laced down the side.

"You look beautiful," he said.

She looked down at herself for a second, as if she couldn't believe the clothing was still there. When she looked back up her cheeks flushed a deep pink that rivaled her shirt. "You're not so bad yourself. Dance with me?"

Billy smiled and squeezed her hand. In seconds they were in the midst of the dance. People cheered and shouted. They stayed out through several songs, until the dance floor started thinning out and people began gravitating toward the tables. They milled through the crowd, Marcy half-leading him by the hand. It took forever for them to reach the opposite end of the room because they could barely take two steps before someone stepped up to greet them. Marcy was gracious with everyone. She remembered the names of nearly everyone who begged for her attention, and even the ones she didn't remember received the same smile and kind words. Billy was impressed with her diplomacy. He also had a new understanding of why Zordon was adamant they keep their identities secret. It was clear they would have no privacy or peace while they were here.

Just before they reached their table Billy heard someone call his name. He turned and saw Dracos standing behind him.

"William," he said, "Sister, I'd like to present my bond-mate, Cera."

For the first time, Billy noticed a tall blond woman behind Dracos. He took hold of the woman's hand and pulled her forward. She had a small frame that was swollen with an advanced pregnancy. Her eyes were downcast as she stepped forward, only peering up through her eyelashes, and curtain of cornsilk hair.

"Dracos!" Marcy said in breathless shock. "I don't believe it."

"It's good to meet you, Tanzetti," the woman said with a small bow.

Marcy reached out and took her sister's hand. "Madala," she said. "And William." She threw Billy a glance that conveyed the humor in the use of his full name. "That Tanzetti stuff doesn't exist between family."

Cera nodded and looked up fully at this and smiled. Her face was rounded but something about the set of her cheekbones and line of her jaw that made Billy think she was a much stronger person than her shy exterior showed.

"When are you due?" Marcy asked.

The woman's hand went protectively around her swollen belly. "Within the month we hope," she said. "You're mother says it could be any day now."

He saw Marcy's hands squeeze on Cera's slightly. "Then we have more reason to celebrate."

She let go of her sister's hands and stepped back as if preparing to move on, but Dracos stepped forward.

"There's one other thing," he said. Marcy turned and waited for him to speak. Cera stepped forward with a confidence she hadn't had before.

"We would be honored if you would consider staying in our home," she said. "At least until your own home can be arranged."

"Oh," Marcy said, a trickle of fear that only Billy could feel coming through. "We would never want to impose on you in your…situation. I assumed we'd stay with mother, or in public accommodations."

"Nonsense," Dracos said. "We have a house near the square, it's perfect. And mother had visitors all hours of the night. You remember how it is, patients coming and going…you'll be much more comfortable somewhere else."

"What does mother say?"

Dracos flushed a little. "She said it was up to you."

Marcy looked at Billy, the question roaming through her mind. Billy wasn't sure how to answer. He liked Dracos a lot, but Katrin was kind, and had been more than welcoming. He just shrugged.

"Well, I-"

But she didn't get an answer because there was a shout from somewhere and Marcy's hand was pulled from his as she was lifted away. Billy jumped at the action but Marcy just laughed as a mysterious man lifted her and spun her around.

"Davin!" she shouted embracing the man. He was taller than her, but thin and agile like Dracos.

"Look at you!" he said. "You look pretty good for a dead person!"

Marcy punched him. "I may be dead but I'll still kick your ass!"

The man laughed and Marcy gestured to Billy. "Billy this is Davin, he's been Dracos's best friend since we were kids."

The man shook Billy's hand. "Good to meet you."

The man laughed and clapped Dracos on the shoulder. "Can you believe this guy? Bonded and child in less than a year? And now you?"

Marcy laughed at that. "There was a time that if Dracos did something you were never far behind."

Davin put his hands up defensively. "Wasn't a part of this one. Isn't a woman on this rock who'll have me, Dracos or not."

"We should sit," Dracos said. "Everyone's waiting."

"Of course, you'll be joining us, Davin?"

Davin's arms went wide and a smile graced his face. "When do I ever turn down a meal."

"Please," Dracos said. "You'd move in with Mother if she'd have you."

"Not my fault she's all the family I have left in the world."

Marcy paused at that and Billy felt a flicker of pain from her, but the others seemed to take the comment in stride. They continued walking through the crowd as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Perhaps for them it was.

Dracos came up behind him and put an arm around his shoulders. "Brother's in arms, eh? I'll take you to the training ground in the morning and you can join me on my shift."

"Shift?" Marcy said suddenly. "What do you mean 'shift'?"

"For the guards," Dracos said. "I have morning rounds. Lucien changed my schedule for today so I could be there to greet you, but sunrise is my normal posting."

A wave of shock and anger hit Billy and he had to struggle to close the conduit and not be affected by her emotion. "You're in the guard?"

"Of course," Dracos said.

"But you're an artist," Marcy said. "You've never fought in your life."

Dracos's eyes narrowed just a bit. "There's no room for an artist in this community," he said softly. "We had to make changes. I was lucky Lucien took me in, I'd be banished to the fields, or trapped in a metalshop if it weren't for him."

Marcy's eyes flashed and Billy had to take a step back from the intensity he felt from her. She wasn't often angered this way, and it took several minutes for her regain control.

"I see," was all she managed to say.

They took seats at a table where Katrin and a few of the girls he'd seen with her at the clinic were sitting. The girls all looked down when Billy arrived. It was a little unnerving. He wasn't used to being watched like that, found attractive simply for his celebrity status. Again he understood why secrecy had been so important to the Power Rangers.

On the whole, however, he couldn't have felt more welcome in the village. Hundreds of people came by their table to introduce themselves and wish them well. Many brought gifts or other things which Marcy politely waved away.

Food was served from several large tables at the end of the tent. Many people were standing in line for food but several people brought plates to their table for them. Billy tried to listen to every conversation going on around him to learn as much as he could about the village and the people in it. He learned that the community was divided into three parts, the village proper, the outer farmlands surrounding the village, and the small community that lived near the mine.

The three girls sitting at their table were Katrin's apprentices, she was training them as healers and midwives. Her oldest, a girl named Olyve was nearly done with her training and planning to move to the mining village in a few months because they were in need of more medical personnel there.

The governmental structure was pretty basic. There were regular meetings that the public could attend and voice concerns, and the day to day operations were run by a handful of people voted into office on a quarterly basis.

In a way, Billy felt like it was stepping back in time. It reminded him so much of the villages and towns on television and movies that took place in Greek and Roman times. There were tradesmen of every sort: Blacksmiths, tanners, bakers, butchers. Invitations to visit the shops around town were extended from everywhere and Billy hoped they would have a chance to visit them all.

But the revelry came to a screeching halt about two hours in when there was a shout from the entrance of the tent and Billy turned to see Lucien, in a stunning leather uniform, flanked by at least twelve men. Fear washed over him at the site of the men as Lucien marched slowly across the room through the hushed crowd. He gripped Marcy's hand, ready to call on his power if needed. Her own emotions were wary at her brother's appearance.

Lucien stopped three feet from the table and reached for his belt, withdrawing a long, thin knife. Billy tightened his grip on Marcy instinctively, but she remained calm so he hesitated to act, for the moment.

Then Lucien made a move that shocked both of them. He bent on one knee and plunged the knife into the ground. "The Caldyne guard swears its allegiance to the Tanzetti Warriors," he said in a loud voice. "Every man in my platoon has sworn a blood oath to always protect and serve your call. We await your command."

Billy had no idea what to do, and he was shocked when Marcy calmly reached down and pulled the knife out of the ground. She stood over her brother, holding the blade in her fist just above his head.

"The Tanzetti are grateful for your loyalty," she said evenly. Not a trace of the shock or suspicion Billy felt coming through in her voice. "You will be an asset to us. Stand up, Brother. You and your men are equals here."

Lucien stood and Marcy returned his knife to him. Their eyes locked together as he wrapped his hand over hers briefly. Billy couldn't read thoughts, even through his connection with Marcy, but he knew something happened in that moment that made Marcy think a little more coldly about her older brother.

The moment came to an abrupt halt however when Katrin Selana stood suddenly and raised her glass to the crowd.

"The Tanzetti have returned to Caldyne!" she said. "They will rebuild the warrior race and bring our people back to their former glory!"

A cheer went through the crowd at those words and Billy felt something cold and hard form in his chest. Marcy sat next to him, her eyes frozen on her mother.

"New warriors will be chosen, new protectors for us all," Katrin continued. She raised the glass a little higher and most of the room joined her. "To the rebirth of the Tanzetti!"

The cheers were deafening, but neither Billy nor Marcy joined in them. Marcy didn't move until the roar of the crowd died down and everyone went back to their food or other revelry. Then, slowly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Marcy stood. She walked around the table, stopping where Dracos and his wife sat.

"Brother, I would be most honored to stay in your home during our stay here." Then she rounded the table and placed a hand on Katrin's shoulder.

"Mother," she said in a strained but pleasant tone. "I need to speak with you."

*****

**Yet more family drama! *sigh* Marcy just can't win. Hope you're enjoying the new story! Please leave a Review I really, really love that! **


	5. In Media Res

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

*****

"What do you mean you're not staying?"

Katrin stood wide eyed with her hands on hips. They were outside the festival tent, in a small cove near the back where no one would overhear them. Marcy waved her hands in the air in front of herself for emphasis.

"I told you this from the beginning," she said. "Billy's life is on Earth. He has a family there, a future. I'm not staying here."

"Then why did you come back if not to rebuild the Tanzetti?"

Marcy was shocked at the question. How could her own mother question her motives? "I came for you. For Lucien and Dracos. You're my family."

"But you won't stay here with us." Katrin turned and walked away from the tent, when she reached the edge of the dim light she turned back.

"And what about Billy?" Marcy asked. "Should I expect him to abandon his father? His friends?"

"It's the way it is," Katrin said softly. "The way of the Tanzetti. He agreed to the bonding, he has to accept the loyalties that come with it."

"And to hell with his own loyalties?" Marcy countered.

Katrin turned and looked at her daughter. "Yes."

Marcy sighed and shifted her weight on her feet, tempted to start her own pacing. "You can't make me stay here."

"It's already done," Katrin said. She made a wave toward the tent with her hand. "The town expects it now. You have no choice."

"Oh, yes I do," Marcy said. "You made that announcement, not me. I've made no vow to this community."

At that her mother scoffed. "Then the Tanzetti truly are dead."

With that she swept away and headed back into the tent. Marcy felt her shoulders begin to shake and nearly lost her balance. She probably would have collapsed if two hands hadn't taken hold of her arms. They pulled her backward and she settled against the solid mass of her bondmate.

"It will be okay," Billy said. He'd stayed in the shadows while her mother was there, giving her the space she needed. But she needed him now and of course he was there.

Marcy shook her head. "I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have…"

She felt the tears come and she couldn't take it. She pushed away from Billy and ran through the village.

Running at full speed she made it to the border in less than a minute. Marcy continued through the trees another minute more before stopping. She collapsed on her knees and let the tears flow.

She still wasn't sure how she had ended up in this position. Her mother was right, she was Tanzetti, first and foremost. Her loyalties to this planet and its people where her sworn obligation, and had been for nearly twenty years. Did the fact that this particular planet wasn't really Caldyne, and the community here were only a fraction of its people change that?

And then there was Billy. She'd sworn and oath to him as well. At the time neither of them thought they would ever be part of this community. They hadn't even known it existed. If they had, would her vows to him have been different? Would they have meant less? Would he have made that same commitment to her knowing he was also committing himself to these people, to her past?

She could still feel Billy in her mind. He'd hesitated to follow her, but he wasn't far. He'd teleport to her side the second she wanted him, but for now he let her alone with her thoughts.

*****

Billy woke to the sun shining in his eyes from the poorly drawn curtains. He could hear distant voices of people passing on the street, going about their workdays. The house around him was quiet and he wondered if Cera and Dracos had left for their morning tasks as well. Then he remembered he was supposed to go to the training field with Dracos that morning and wondered if he was too late. He moved to sit up, and found Marcy's hand over his chest, gently holding him down.

"I told him to go on without you," Marcy's soft voice said from beside him. "I told him you had a rough night."

"You didn't have to do that," Billy replied. He fell back in his back and Marcy propped herself up on one elbow beside him.

"I wanted to," she said. Her hand moved slowly over his chest suggestively, slowly working it's way south. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you last night."

"You were upset," he said. _And you had every right to be_, he thought, but didn't speak. Her mother's surprise announcement last night was incredibly insensitive and had put Marcy in a very difficult position. It put them both in a difficult position. They only had two months before his school started, and here was Katrin making promises about the Tanzetti rising again. His thoughts from the night before drifted slowly into his mind again. The differences between here and Earth. Which lifestyle did he really want?

Marcy looked down. "I shouldn't have lost my temper that way. I should have come to you but I…I couldn't put all of that on you."

Billy reached up and cupped her face in his hand, moving it so she was looking at him. "Hey," he said softly, "We need to take care of this together."

Marcy nodded. "I know, I'm sorry."

She shifted a little and leaned in to kiss him. Her hands were at the waistline of the thin shorts he'd put on for sleeping. She climbed on top of him and he realized she was naked. He felt a small wave of guilt, which only increased the tension of his worry. It was so easy to be here with Marcy like this. It was too easy.

Marcy pulled back, starring down at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, but he knew she'd feel the lie in it.

Her eyes narrowed. "What is it?" she demanded.

"It's nothing, it…" He sighed, he may as well say it, and she'd get it out of him one way or another. "I was just thinking about what your mother said about bonding. How can we be here acting like we're married and then go back to Earth and pretend we're not. It just doesn't seem right."

Marcy was taken speechless for several minutes. Her eyes looked away as she mulled this over.

"How long have you felt this way?" she finally asked.

Billy shrugged. "I don't know. It didn't seem like a big deal at first. I mean, we'll get married eventually, there was no rush, but now, seeing the way everyone looks at us, treats us differently…I guess I just started wondering if it would be that way back home."

Marcy nodded. He could feel the guilt welling up inside her. "This whole thing has been really unfair to you."

"No!" Billy said. "You've done everything could to make this fair to me. Marcy you can't do it all. We are married, we're bonded forever. There's nothing either of us can do about that. You're sacrificing everything to try and make things easier for me but…"

Marcy's eyes had gone as cold, as did her body. "Say it."

Billy swallowed against the lump in his throat. "We can't have it both ways," he said softly. "I don't want to pretend to be something I'm not."

Marcy nodded. "You're right." She slid off him and crawled to the other side of the bed, as far away from him as she could be without falling to the floor."

"I'll talk to Mother. My things will be gone when you get back with Dracos."

"Marcy."

"You're right," she said. "This is how it needs to be. I won't give you a gift you aren't allowed to keep."

He reached out through their connection to her mind, but she shut him down. A mental barrier as strong as steel. He didn't know she could do that.

He wanted to say something more, to scream and shout at her to let him back in, but it was no use. He'd asked for this, and she was right. All this time the one thing that soiled their union was that it wasn't complete, that she didn't want it complete. She'd convinced him it was for his sake, for his future, so he could go to college and have a normal life the same way he would have if they hadn't bonded. But it made no difference. They were bonded, they were connected for eternity by a magic older than time, and stronger than the universe, stronger than love itself. Now that he saw it with more clarity, he saw how small a thing it was. They'd already cemented their relationship with the strongest bonds possible, erasing a less meaningful vow didn't diminish that, it only insulted it.

Billy slowly got up from the bed and dressed, then left the room. He paused at the door before closing it, turning to say some kind of goodbye, and he saw Marcy sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. Her thick brown hair obscuring the view of her face.

"Marcy, I…" He what? He took it all back? He couldn't change how he felt; he couldn't lie to her to make her happy. This was going to come one way or another, the fact it had come this soon made little difference.

"Just go, Billy," Marcy said. "Just leave."

He opened his mouth one more time but words failed him. Finally he simply stepped into the hall and shut the door. The second it closed home he felt a shudder go through his body that was almost paralyzing. He turned back to the door, tempted to go back. Then the feeling disappeared, pulled back behind the steel trap it leaked out of, and Billy stood outside the door feeling shattered to pieces.

Inside that room, Marcy was crying and it was his fault, and there was nothing he could do about it.

*****

**Thanks for reading!! Remember, all reviews are welcome. **


	6. Nobleman

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

*****

It wasn't hard to find the training fields. Billy knew they were on the west end of town and there was only one road that headed east to west. It stood to reason the fields would be at the end of that road, and he was right.

His stomach was hurting as he reached the edge of town and he realized he'd completely forgotten about breakfast. He'd intended to spend the day getting to know the town with Marcy but obviously that wasn't going to happen. He hoped Dracos would be willing to help once he reached the training grounds.

He could see the walls of the field just before he reached the edge of town. He crested a hill and saw a stone arena built into a low valley just to the left of the road. There were hundreds of men and women inside, sparing and practicing with weapons. Even from this far away it looked quite organized. When he reached the gate of arena there were two men standing guard. He slowed as he approached, not sure if they would stop him. It was quite possible there was some password or secret handshake he wasn't aware of.

But both men simply nodded as he passed and said nothing so he continued through the stone archway and onto the field. Immediately he heard his name being called and seconds later he saw Dracos rushing to his side.

"There you are, William!" he said. "I was beginning to think my sister wouldn't want to share you with us today."

Billy forced a smile at his brother. "No, I'm here."

Dracos looked over Billy's shoulder a second and his face fell. "Where is Madala?"

"Uh, I don't actually know," Billy said. "She…she had other things to do today."

Dracos's eyes narrowed as he looked at him. "It was mother," he said with a sigh. "She made that stupid announcement. I knew Madala was upset."

"That and other things," Billy said softly. He was going to explain to Dracos about the fight when he heard another voice behind him.

"Ah, noble Tanzetti."

Billy turned and saw Lucien approaching. He stopped when he reached his two brothers. "I assume you're here to inspect the troops?"

Billy opened his mouth to respond but Lucien was already calling attention. Every soldier on the field came running from where they were and fell into perfect lines, including Dracos, who stood in a smaller line in the front.

When they were all assembled Lucien waived his hand. "You're troops."

Billy took a second to look over the assembled soldiers. He had to admit it was an impressive sight.

"Would you like to see the drills?" Lucien asked.

"Oh," Billy said. He had no idea what proper drill looked like, how would he judge that? "Perhaps, I should wait until Marcy can come down and see. She knows more about that stuff than I do."

He saw Lucien incline his head slightly then turn his attention to the troops. "Fall out! Back to your practices!"

The well formed lines broke and the soldiers went back to whatever practice activities they had been doing before. Dracos ran from his place to join them. Billy figured that with Dracos there it was alright for him to be a bit less formal.

"Shall I give you a tour of the grounds?" Dracos offered.

"Yes, I'd like that," Billy said. "Umm, would it be possible to get something to eat. I didn't get breakfast."

"Of course," Dracos said. "We have a fully stocked pantry for the troops. But why didn't you eat? Cera left plenty of food out."

"I left in a hurry," Billy admitted. "I didn't even think about it until I was already on the road."

"If my brother's accommodations aren't to your liking I can arrange for something better," Lucien said.

"Oh, no!" Billy answered. "It's fine. It was my fault, really."

Again, Lucien only gave a slight nod. The man was very hard to read. He wondered if Marcy struggled to understand her brother even with her gift to help her.

He didn't get much more time to think about it because Dracos had a hand around his shoulder and was leading him away.

When Dracos said there was a fully stocked pantry he wasn't kidding. There were foodstuffs of every kind in the cabinets of the small kitchen. And Dracos was a gracious host. He pulled down at least twenty different items that he insisted Billy try. Billy didn't want to be rude, but he knew if his new brother's enthusiasm didn't wane he'd make himself sick.

"That's more than enough, Dracos," he said finally. "I appreciate it."

Dracos sighed and took a seat at the small table across from Billy.

"Do you like our planet so far?"

Billy swallowed a bite of the fruit-filled pastry he'd been eating and answered, "I haven't seen much of it yet, but I have to say I feel very welcome already."

Dracos beamed. "Good. We're all thrilled to have the Tanzetti back in our lives."

"You understand that we aren't planning to stay, right? At least, not at first."

"But you'll be here," Dracos said. "You can travel easily enough between our worlds."

"We'd still have to be gone long periods of time."

Dracos waived a hand and scoffed. "What are a few years after waiting ten?"

"Ten years is a long time."

"Not so long," Dracos said.

"It is on Earth," Billy said.

"Why is that?"

Billy sighed. "Humans don't live as long as Caldynians do, not by half."

Dracos's face fell. "So, you mean, you won't live…."

"No, I will, because of the Tanzetti power, but my family, my friends, they'll all be gone in the next fifty years or so."

"So, you want to go back, to spend that time with them."

"Some of it, at least," Billy answered.

Dracos nodded. "I understand. You're right, you shouldn't be denied your final days with your family."

"I'm glad you understand."

"Of course I do," Dracos said. "I'm about to be a father, do you think I would want my son or daughter to be taken away and forced to live somewhere far away just because they made a vow?"

"What about Marcy?" Billy asked. "Madala, I mean. She'll be coming with me. She won't be able to see you for a long time."

"But she'll be back," Dracos said. "If what you say about human lives is true then you won't be able to go back to your planet, not the same way she can."

Billy was shocked at the truth in those words. He was beginning to think Dracos's family let his innocence prevent them from seeing his wisdom. He was far more intelligent and articulate than he'd seen any of them give him credit for.

"I'll look forward to coming," Billy said. "As long as you're here."

Dracos smiled and opened his mouth to respond when Lucien appeared at the door.

"Well," he said taking in the sight of the food covered table and his two brothers lounging around it. "Finished then? I thought perhaps we could take a tour of the town."

"I'd love that," Billy said getting to his feet. Dracos got to his feet as well, but Lucien stepped in front of him. "Why don't you stay here and finish leading the drills?"

Dracos nodded at the order, not from his brother, but from his captain, and with merely a departing nod to Billy rushed back to the training field.

"Shall we go?" Lucien asked then without waiting for an answer turned on heel and strode from the room leaving Billy to catch up to him at a run.

*****

Marcy felt the cool wind pick up as she broke from the trees and into the open meadow. If she hadn't been with such a large group she might have taken a moment to enjoy the sunlight on her face as she stepped out of the treeline.

But seeing as she was with a large group she settled for merely setting her face to the sky as she walked for just a moment before turning her attention back to the road.

"It's just off to the side here," her mother said and when Marcy looked to her left she could already see the large brick grotto built up against the treeline at the far edge of a meadow.

In front of the large grotto were thousands of white markers sticking up out of the ground. Each marker had a name carved in black on the front. Slowly she walked the rows of people. Their bodies lost to the depths of space and hands of time, but their memories placed here, protected, so they could never be forgotten.

She walked every row of the memory field, scanning each name as she passed. She knew she'd never remember every name, but she would remember this, walking in this place, the smell of spring flowers washing in with the breeze and the sun shining down warming her skin under the tight uniform.

Finally, she reached the actual grotto. A large smooth slab of stone had been set in the center and a huge scene carved into it. It depicted the final battle of Caldyne, the ships leaving the surface with the survivors, the Tanzetti bravely facing Baylin as they escaped.

Marcy felt a sting in her chest at the sight. So many things had happened that day. So many things had changed. She reached out and touched the stone, feeling the curves and grooves from the chisel, each line carving itself into her memory of that day.

She stepped back and admired the work from a distance and something caught her eye. There was a section near the left, where the Tanzetti were standing facing Baylin. Something was familiar about that scene, about the way the land curved under the warriors, about the way their faces turned to their enemy. She'd seen that drawing before.

"Dracos did this," she said.

"Yes," Katrin said. "It was the last drawing he did. He hasn't done any art since."

Anger welled up in her chest. Anger that her brother had been made to turn his back on his art. Anger over having been forced to abandon everyone she had loved, everyone she'd ever known. Anger that her life was over, that no one here wanted her. That the Tanzetti were unwelcome, un-respected.

She gasped as she realized the anger wasn't her own. It was overwhelming her from somewhere else, someone else.

"Billy."

The thought had barely registered and she was lost in a wave of pink lightening.

*****

**Okay, this is the end of the pre-written chapters. The next chapter is well on its way though so no worries yet. Remember, reviews are welcome anytime. I really want to know that you guys are enjoying this! **


	7. Payment

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

**So glad I got this out in time! Special thanks to asdeed for beta reading this for me. I made a few tweaks, hope you approve!**

*****

The good news was, Billy was winning. That bad news: Lucien was putting up a hell of a fight.

Already, the Blue Tanzetti had a split lip and eyebrow. He was also pretty sure one of his ribs on the right side was broken because it was incredibly tender and hurt every time he moved.

He was completely certain, however, that Lucien looked worse. The man's right eye was bright red and swollen nearly shut. He had a bad cut on his chin from a collision with Billy's boot, and was bleeding profusely from the nose.

They were circling each other now, their heavy shoes kicking up dirt as they waited for an opening to deal the next blow. Billy moved around the circle, oblivious to the small crowd of villagers around them, to the people cheering, and shouting. His mind was completely focused on Lucien, and on his hatred for the man.

He still heard the words in his mind, the conversation running over and over in his head.

"So, why are you really here?" Lucien had asked.

"For Marcy," he'd said. "So she could see you all again."

"So you're not going to rebuild the Tanzetti?"

Billy had shaken his head. "No," he'd said. "Not now anyway. Marcy wants to go back to Earth."

"And what you do you want, Billy?"

"I'm not sure what you're getting at."

"Well, all I keep hearing is what Madala wants. She makes the decisions, she makes the rules."

"It's not like that," Billy said.

"Oh, it's not? Do you like it here?"

"Yes, I do."

Lucien stopped walking and looked Billy in the eye. "They why aren't you staying?"

Billy had just shaken his head, still not understanding. Then Lucien clarified. "My sister is a liar. She doesn't care about this planet, about these people. She doesn't care about you."

"Don't say that," Billy had warned.

"It's true!" Lucien said taking a step back. "Look how you are with her. You barely speak when she's around. You don't make any decisions, you don't get any choices."

That's when Billy realized what the captain of the guards was doing. "You're trying to manipulate me against her. It's not going to work. I know you don't want us here, I just don't know what your angle is."

Lucien crossed his arms in front of himself. "Madala was right, you are smart. You're absolutely right."

"Why would you do that to your own sister?"

"My sister is dead. She died ten years ago when she abandoned us to go on a suicide mission and left us to fend for ourselves."

"It wasn't like that and you know it," Billy responded.

Lucien took a step forward, leaning in until he was only a breath from Billy's face. "I'm the one who rebuilt this community. I created the guard, I organized the survivors." He waved his hand to the buildings around him. "I put my own sweat and blood into building this village. I did. And what did she do? Nothing! You're both liars! You may take the rest of the village as fools, but you won't do the same with me!"

That was when Billy had lost control. It was one thing to be manipulated like a child, it was quite another to listen to Marcy be insulted. Marcy had saved her people. If she hadn't stopped Baylin at that temple he could have followed the survivors instead of being blasted to some random part of the universe the way she had been. She'd fought him again on Earth. She'd stepped up on that mountain prepared to sacrifice herself once again to stop him. He himself had made the same sacrifice when he bonded with her, knowing full well it might be the last thing he'd ever do.

So, he'd drawn back and punched Lucien full in the face. That punch had been returned with a kick that Billy was pretty sure was the one that had broken his ribs. He was a good fighter, even without his powers, but Lucien was older and had years of experience on him. Even Tommy would have struggled to go head to head with this man, and yet, Lucien was failing.

But that was mostly because Billy was just too pissed off to care. Marcy had warned him that even though the worst of his transition from the bonding was over, he was still vulnerable. The stress of losing his father, watching Marcy struggle with her own family, not to mention his own fight with his beloved this morning, had put him on edge. Lucien's manipulations had taken it a step to far. He was no longer thinking about family and commitment and responsibility and powers.

He was thinking about how good it would feel to kick Lucien's ass.

Billy took another swing and the larger man stumbled backward and fell on the ground. Billy stepped in took hold of Lucien's vest, lifting him off the ground just high enough that he could reach back and take yet another swing at his brother in law.

Lucien went limp at the blow and the blood poured over his face. Billy drew back to hit him again, but this time he felt something hard clamp around him arm, and suddenly he couldn't move. The next thing he knew he was on his back, having flown through the air before hitting the hard ground. His eyes came into focus and saw Marcy standing over him. She wasn't in uniform. Instead she was wearing a loose fitting silk shirt in pale pink and brown trousers he'd never seen before. She stared down at him, her eyes flaming. She was still limiting the flow of emotions between them, but he could feel her anger wash over him anyway.

Then she turned away and took several steps before stopping in front of her brother. She knelt down and put a hand to his face. He saw Lucien's body relax and when she stepped away his wounds were gone. He pulled a cloth from his face and wiped away the blood before getting to his feet.

"How dare you," she said. Even with her back to him Billy knew her face was still an expression of rage. She shook her head and made a sound of disgust. The crowd around them was stone silent. "You disgust me, Lucien."

Lucien said nothing. He merely stood, his face sullen and defeated.

"You want to take on a Tanzetti warrior?" Marcy continued. "You take on me."

She made a motion with her arms at her throat and Billy saw the thin gold chain rise from her neck and lift over her head. She turned at the waist and dropped the chain, and its jewel at Billy's feet. "There," she said. "Now it's a fair fight. Go ahead."

She spread her arms wide in invitation but again Lucien didn't move. "You're a coward," she said with a scoff. "If you didn't want us here why didn't you just say so?"

"I did say so!" Lucien interjected. "I said it a million times when those fish-freaks showed up, and I said it a million more before you landed here. But no one listened. They want to hold on to their past. The great Tanzetti!" Then he spat on the ground.

"Some greatness," he continued. "We've survived perfectly well here without you for ten years, we'll survive many more just fine. We don't need you."

Billy heard a murmur go through the crowd and wondered if Lucien's opinion was a bit more popular than he'd originally thought.

Marcy noticed as well, but she didn't voice it. She simply took a step back. "If that's the way you want it," she said slowly. "We'll leave immediately. But when we do, we leave completely. We take everything that is even the smallest remnant of the Tanzetti. And every one."

Lucien's eyes hardened. "Sister…"

"You're sister is dead! You said so yourself."

"She's my daughter."

"And she's my heir!" Marcy hissed back. "There's nothing I can do about it, Lucien. This is the way it has too be. It's your choice."

Lucien opened his mouth to object then closed it again. He took a look around the crowd but no one stepped up to help him. He was a disgraced leader now in most of their eyes. He may have spent the last ten years building this little empire, but in mere seconds a single Tanzetti made it crumble.

"You should get home, Lucien," Marcy said quietly. "Chelea will want to spend what time she has left on this planet with her family."

Then she turned on heel, paused only a second to reach down and retrieve the pink jewel from the ground, then stood back up and strode away. Billy pulled himself to his feet with effort and raced after her.

Marcy didn't stop or look back once as she headed down the path, and running wasn't much of an option for Billy at the moment, his chest still aching from the injuries Lucien had inflicted on him. So he did the only other thing he could think of.

"Marcy! Marcy wait!"

But Marcy didn't stop. Instead she turned from the path and ducked into the trees. The pathless trail she was on slowed her pace but it was still several minutes before Billy could catch up to her. Again he called her name.

"Marcy, please!"

She spun so fast he tripped as he tried to stop and fell against a nearby tree. "What!"

"We need to talk." His side screamed in pain as he struggled to catch his breath.

Marcy seemed to take no notice. Surely she could feel how much pain he was in, despite her tight latch on their connection. But she merely crossed her arms over her chest and said, "So, talk."

"Do you think you could heal me first?"

Marcy's eyes looked him up and down, but she didn't move an inch to help him. "You need to start healing yourself," she said.

"I don't know how."

"Call on the power, the same way you do to call lightening, or a shield, only you focus the energy together, towards what you need healed. The power guides you through the rest."

"That's it?"

Marcy shrugged. "That's it."

"You could have taught me that before."

Marcy shook her head. "You have to master the other skills first or you can't learn how to focus the power strongly enough. Try it, you'll see. It takes more concentration than you think."

Billy took a deep breath and focused his mind, calling forth the Tanzetti power. He placed a hand over the spot on his chest where his ribs hurt and concentrated, funneling all his energy to that spot. Marcy was right, he could feel the power flowing through his body at a staggering rate.

It took all his concentration to control the flow of power on himself. By the time his side was healed he felt like he might collapse. He leaned against the tree and took several breaths.

"It will get easier," she said. "But healing is always a strain on your power. Don't forget that."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?"

"For this morning."

Marcy approached him. She was close enough that he could have embraced her easily if he weren't so exhausted. "You told me the truth," she said. "That is not what you should apologize for."

She turned and started to walk away again, but Billy felt his own still fragile emotions rise, giving a small boost of energy. "And just what should I be apologizing for?"

"You let me know when you figure that out," she called over her shoulder.

He pushed off from the tree and followed her through the woods. He caught up with her and grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him. "What is that supposed to mean? I didn't do anything wrong."

Marcy shook her head. "You don't get it," she said. She made a gesture back towards the road. "That is not how you handle politics around here."

"Oh and you're way of sitting around and letting people manipulate you was working so well."

Marcy gestured to herself. "I had a plan! I was supposed to meet with the leaders, the real ones. We could have compromised! Now all of that is gone!"

"Well it's not like you brought me in on any of that!" Billy screamed. His temper crept over him and he tried to push it down, but his control was slipping fast. "Lucien was right about one thing, you don't treat me as an equal."

"That's not true, Billy," Marcy said.

"Oh isn't it? You move out of our room simply because you don't want to get married. You want me to go to school because it's the right thing to do. What if I don't want that? What if I want to stay here where we're needed! What if I'm tired of being the one who's expected to do everything, to fix every little thing, just because that's what I've always done?"

She was backing away from him but he reached out for her, stopping her from moving. She tried to twist away and slammed her back into a tree.

"You don't let me make my own choices," he said.

"Billy, it's not like that. I was trying to protect you." Her voice was barley a whisper, but it still angered him.

"I don't need your protection! I'm not a child! I was Power Ranger for three years! I earned my right as a Tanzetti! I gave up everything for you!"

"Billy stop!"

He felt a rush of pain that wasn't from him and realized he was gripping Marcy's arm too tight. He let go quickly, feeling guilty for losing control. He took several steps back and tried to concentrate. It felt like right after his transition again, he was losing control and he couldn't stop.

"Billy," Marcy's soft voice came close. She reached out and took his face in her hands. "It's okay. Calm down!" she ordered.

But her touch was too much. The next thing he knew he was kissing her and it was like everything exploded. The conduit walls broke and he could feel Marcy's mind again. She opened up to him, pushing through everything, all the emotion, all the frustration. The rock he clung to when he couldn't focus.

The world around them melted away as he gave in completely to the emotion, to the connection. He was aware of the sound of ripping cloth and Marcy's voice crying out wordlessly under the trees. The fantastic sensation of her skin on his.

He was inside her before they hit the ground. Nothing else existed but them, bodies and consciousness intertwined. All of his emotions came pouring out like a flood, his frustration and anger over everything, his father, his hatred of Lucien, weariness over politics and manipulations, even Marcy's resistance to him. He pushed each thought away one by one until there was nothing, nothing but the two of them, lost in each other's pleasure.

It took a long time for him to come back to himself. He was lying on the forest floor, suddenly aware of the ground beneath him and the trees. He could hear animals and insects in the woods around him. He also realized he was alone.

When he sat up he saw Marcy, now fully dressed, lacing up her tall boots while propped against a rock. He reached out with his mind and found their conduit firmly closed once again.

"Marcy," he said out loud, softly, but he knew she could hear him. She finished with her laces and stood up straight.

"You should get cleaned up and go to the main ship," she said. She was turned toward him but her eyes weren't looking at him.

"What about you?"

"I'll be there," she said. "We have a lot of work to do now."

"What about Lucien?" he asked. "Are you really going to take Chelea away?"

"Don't have a choice now, do I?" she spat out.

"You can't do that," Billy said remembering the look on Lucien's face when Marcy made the announcement. "We can't do that."

"Then you better come up with a solution quick," Marcy said. "Unless you do, she's you're daughter now."

With that the Pink Tanzetti Warrior turned and marched away through the woods.

*****

**Wow, got a little intense there at the end. Hope that wasn't too much for anybody. If so I guess you could always pretend they just cuddled naked. Works for some people. **

**Don't forget to review. **


	8. Soluble

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

*****

The dark lord woke so suddenly that for several seconds he was sure it had just been a dream. But no, he could still feel it, that magical presence, its taste still clung to the air.

He looked to the other side of the bed but his wife was nowhere to be found. Damn infernal woman. He needed to know if she'd felt the same presence. Feeling it was one thing, but it would take their magic working together to find it.

He stumbled from the bed, and walked the long corridors to Serpentera's inner body until he reached the cockpit. When he entered all he could see of the front viewport was a pair of large black wings.

"Goldar!" he screeched. "Where is Rita?"

"I'm right here!" a familiar voice called from off to his right. Even those few words grated on his spine, causing a tremor of fear and hate to roll through him. The sick part was, he enjoyed it.

"Did you feel it?" he asked.

"Of course I did!" she said. "You think my powers are so much weaker than yours? I was conjuring demons long before you could even pick up a staff!"

"Enough!" Lord Zedd screeched back. "The point is, there's a new power in the area. We need to find it."

"Whatever it was, it was weak," Rita said sidling across the room where Goldar was still sitting at the controls, trying desperately to look like he wasn't paying attention. "Should be easy to capture."

"Goldar, scan the area with Serpentera's sensors. There can only be so many habitable planets in the sector."

Goldar grunted an assent and clicked a few keys with his gold taloned hands. Zedd stood over his shoulder looking at the readout.

"There," Rita said pointing to a spot on the screen. "That's it."

"How do you know?" Zedd growled. He looked down at the screen again, but his own senses were unable to pick a planet.

"I just know!" Rita snapped back. "That is what I do."

Zedd let out a low growl, preparing in his mind a conquest of replies, but quickly thought better of it. "You're sure?" he said in a low voice, fighting to keep his temper under control. There were more important things to worry about at the moment.

"Yes," Rita said. "The power is there."

Zedd started at the screen again, then at his wife. As much as he hated to admit it, her powers of perception were far better than his. If she said the source of the power was on that tiny planet, she was probably right.

Rita seemed to know it too because she actually smiled. "This is our chance, Zeddy," she said.

Yes, indeed it was. A chance to start over, to move up from life on the run and depending on her deplorable father's protection. All it would take were a few key planets and the universe would once again be his.

"Goldar," he said. "Set a course for the planet."

*****

It was late afternoon by the time Billy had gathered himself enough to walk back to the village. The streets were buzzing with people ending their workdays, and preparing for evening. He was headed to the capital ships when something grabbed his arm from behind. He jumped and turned to see Katrin walking next to him.

"Walk with me," she said. Her voice was light but firm so he figured it was better to just go along with it for now. They didn't speak as she led him through the narrow streets of the main village. After several turns he recognized where they were headed, and his guess was confirmed when he once again found himself crossing the threshold to Katrin's home.

She released his arm once they were inside. "Sit down," she said. "You need to eat."

She busied herself in the kitchen quickly and Billy felt a wave of guilt. He had no idea how long it had been since his meal with Dracos this morning, but the last thing his stomach wanted was food.

"You don't have to trouble yourself," he said. "I'm not that hungry."

"I didn't ask if you were hungry," Katrin said. "I said you need to eat. After today you need to rally your strength."

Billy opened his mouth to object, but Katrin had not even bothered to look up and he thought better of it. He sat down at the kitchen table and watched patiently while Katrin worked at the counter. Having no cooking ability himself he had no idea what she was doing, but he couldn't ignore the fine smells that surrounded him, nor could he deny the logic in her statement. He may not feel the effects this moment, but the events of the day had drained him and food was the easiest way to regain some of that lost energy.

After several minutes of chopping and arranging Katrin finally stepped to the table with a large plate of fruits and cheeses, as well as several generous slices of bread. He thanked her quietly and she sat down across the table from him.

"I owe you an apology," she said firmly.

Billy nearly jumped at the words. "You don't-"

A wave of her hand and a glare in her eyes cut him off. "I do. I was so eager to recapture the past, recapture…my past, I didn't think of the consequences it would have for my daughter, or for you. I hope you can forgive me for that."

"There's nothing to forgive," Billy insisted. "You were doing what you thought was best."

Katrin shook her head. "I was selfish. I lived with Tanzetti nearly all my life. Seryna, Marcy's grandmother, she was like a second mother to me, very good friends with my family, and of course Marcy's father…"

Billy looked down. He had worried from the beginning that seeing someone else, especially a stranger, in her late husband's uniform would be difficult for her.

"I'm sorry," Billy said. "It must be difficult for you to see me, because of your husband."

Katrin's lips tightened and he saw her throat move as she swallowed whatever emotion was overwhelming her at that thought. "Yes, I still grieve for him, but I don't begrudge you your right to his power, please understand that."

Billy nodded and assured her he did.

She gestured to the spread of food before him. "Eat," she said standing up. "Trust me, you'll need it."

She got up then and walked to the other side of the kitchen and Billy slowly started eating. He didn't feel hungry but after a few bites he noticed his body was more relaxed and his stomach calmed, but he wasn't sure if it was just from the food, or his talk with Katrin, or both. Either way, by the time Katrin had returned to his side with a steaming bowl of stew he'd cleared over half the plate without realizing it.

"Now my daughter," Katrin said, taking her seat again. "She is difficult."

Billy nearly choked on his bite of stew when she said that. He wasn't sure if he was intending to laugh or cry, but his first concern was to look up at Katrin to see how she'd taken it.

"She's a good person," he said through a rough voice.

"She's a wonderful person," Katrin agreed. "That doesn't make her less difficult."

"But I-"

Again, Katrin shushed him with a hand. Billy had to admit, he was impressed with the way the Selana women could command so easily. Little Chelea had brought him to his knees with a look, and now her grandmother seemed to command his voice with her fingers.

"You don't have to cover for her," Katrin said. "I did raise her. She was no less a force of nature then than she is now. She's her grandmother's child." The older woman sighed. "Seryna was a force to be reckoned with, but she always had a good heart. Thankfully both were passed on to Madala."

Billy just nodded. She was right of course, and a fresh wave of guilt fell over him for the state of their relationship. He didn't quite know where everything went wrong, or how to fix it. This wasn't the type of problem he was used to solving. But suddenly he wondered if maybe there was someone who did.

"You know about the fight then," he said, "between us."

"When my daughter comes to me and says she wants to stay in my home without her bond-mate I must admit that's my first conclusion."

Billy nodded. "I don't know what to do now. We shouldn't be separated like this."

Katrin gave a scoff. "Don't be naïve," she said. She stood then, noticing Billy's empty stew bowl and took it back to the stove to refill it."

"When I was bonded with Talledus I must have thrown him out on his ass a hundred times." She returned to the table with his food and reclaimed her seat.

"Really?" Billy asked.

"Of course," Katrin said. "Bonding brings with it amazing passion, but that kind of passion is unstable. Sometimes you need to…." she moved her hands in front of her, in a gesture where they waved slowly apart, "let it stabilize."

Billy nodded. She made it sound so simple. He regretted his harsh judgment of Katrin when he'd first come here. She was a hard woman yes, but she was also a wise one. It had been a long time since he'd found anyone he could talk to so easily. The last person in his life that had been like that was Marcy. It occurred to him that maybe Marcy didn't get every one of her attributes from her grandmother.

"It seemed so simple at first," he said. "It was a choice, I could let her die and my friends be injured, or I could bond with her, and give her the strength she needed to defeat Baylin. I didn't really think about what came after."

"Bonding is not a choice to be taken lightly," Katrin said. "However, just because your decision was made in the heat of battle, doesn't make it the wrong decision."

Again Billy found himself nodding at Katrin's words. "I do love her."

"It's not just love," Katrin said. "It's far more than that. Good bonding, good passion, is about dedication, it's an unexplainable need to commit to that person, to do things beyond the ordinary to make them happy and to care for them. You've shown that with my daughter in countless ways, and I know she sees it too. If you weren't a good match you never would have been able to give yourself over to her in that moment, you wouldn't have been enough strength for her to overcome her enemies."

Billy nearly gasped at the words. They were so true and real and he couldn't believe he'd never thought of it before. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to seek Marcy out and tell her this.

Katrin seemed to sense his trepidation because she suddenly changed the subject. "Now there is one other matter, Lucien."

She said his name with such a harsh tone Billy was surprised out of his epiphany. He was struck speechless, not sure what the next moment was going to bring.

"My son, he is a strong one, but he is foolish," Katrin said. "He's had a large burden to bear these last few years as a leader, and it has made him a hard man. At first I believed he that he and I had the same vision and supported him. I did not realize his true intentions. For that I must also ask forgiveness."

Billy shook his head. "You aren't to blame for Lucien's mess. And I've done plenty today to make it worse. I should be asking your forgiveness for my reaction."

"Not at all," Katrin said. "You were defending yourself and your bond-mate, as well as the Tanzetti power. Marcy had an alternate plan, or course, but you didn't know that, as I didn't know Lucien's intentions for sabotaging your good name."

"Sounds like we all share a piece of the blame," Billy said. "I just wish I knew how to fix it."

Katrin smiled and lifted her teacup. "My husband uses to say, 'sometimes the solution to a problem is in the question.'"

Billy almost laughed. "There's a saying like that on earth too."

They were laughing when suddenly something did register in Billy's thoughts. He had been thinking of Chelea and how to keep from taking her away. Something about Katrin's words struck a chord and an idea came to him.

"I need to go back to town for a bit," Billy said. "I think I have an idea."

Katrin nodded. "Of course," she said. "Will you be back for dinner? Most of the family comes here at night, though Lucien will likely be absent."

"If my idea works he may not be," Billy said. He stood up to go and hesitated. Katrin sat patiently, sipping her tea as if they'd just had a pleasant lunch instead of the good talking too Billy needed.

"Thank you," he said. "For everything."

The words weren't near enough, but her smile was warm. "Go on," she said. "You have work to do."

Billy nodded and thanked her again, then rushed from the house, the idea in his mind quickly solidifying into a solution.

*****

**Nice long chapter to get you through the week! Hope you enjoyed! Sorry no action this time, don't worry, it's not over yet! Got the big makeup scene yet. I see a lemon chapter in the very near future. Remember, all reviews welcome!**


	9. Relationship Skills

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

*****

**Sorry about the long delay in updating. The plotbunnies got a little burned out and took a vacation. But they're back now and things seem to be running smoothly despite the fact that in their furlough a legion of new bunnies popped up and started a few new stories. **

** For those who don't know the Fanfiction Friday deadline is still in place. I can't promise what story, but there WILL be at least one new chapter of SOMETHING posted every Friday. **

** On that note, I realize that today is Saturday, I apologize for that, yesterday was a little hectic. Anyway, you're story is here now, so please enjoy the return of Tanzetti!!**

*****

Marcy stormed through the town not really seeing where she was going. She knew she should be heading for the ships, but she just couldn't face anyone right now. Striding through the town, unsure of where to go next, not really paying attention to anything until she finally stopped in frustration. She leaned against a building and put her head in her hands.

It took two breaths for the flow of tears to break. Once it started she couldn't stop. There was too much emotion to work through, too much negative feeling inside her.

Normally, she wasn't this emotional. Years of feeling other people's emotions had taught her to temper her own, to release them in healthy ways. That was what her grandmother had done for her when she was a child. Why she'd taken Marcy away so often, it wasn't to keep her away, but to give her a break from the constant assault of emotions her young body was exposed to each day. That was what she remembered from their childhood, those simple, quiet weekends away from civilization and thought and emotion. It strengthened her.

These last two days however, had broken her will. There was too much for her to take. As her body sank to the ground against the unknown building she felt herself wishing she never come to this place. That was the real reason things had happened in the forest the way they did. She could feel Billy's emotions boiling over and her own were on edge. She was afraid one of them might lose control and let loose their powers. It would have been dangerous, one of them easily could have gotten hurt, so she'd redirected him to the first thing that came to mind.

It probably wasn't the smartest move, Billy easily could have hurt her, but he didn't. And the release was good for them both. She didn't quite realize how much she needed the release herself. It had been raw, and animalistic, far from the slow intense lovemaking they usually had, but then, love had had very little to do with what had happened.

Still, her head felt somewhat more clear, which was why it was so easy for her to sink down onto the small stone ledge that surrounded whatever building she was next to and let herself cry.

"You shouldn't sit there," a familiar voice said from above her. "Mrs. Dellivn will tan you if you ruin her roses."

Marcy looked up and found herself starring into the face of her younger brother. Something about his innocent smile and easy stance drained the anger and frustration from her body and she actually smiled. Dracos stepped around her and had a seat against the wall.

They didn't talk for a long time. Marcy just leaned back, half against the wall, half against Dracos and looked around. She was far from the center of town, the road here was little more than a wide dirt path. It was also quite lovely. There were rosebushes, as Dracos had pointed out, all over the open ground. They were obviously well tended, not a single patch of earth held a blade of grass or sprout of weed. Nothing but rows and rows of color. From where they were sitting it looked like they were inside a vast painting, a forest of flowers.

"You remember when we were kids and we decided to have a safari in Dame Yavirl's garden?" she asked.

Dracos laughed. "And we ruined the prize winning orchids? I can still feel the blisters from re-digging those flowerbeds. That was the last time I followed you and Baylin on an adventure."

"Mom always made me let you tag along," Marcy said. "Baylin and I, we were scared of her so when she said we'd be sterilizing the sheets in the backyard if we didn't bring you along, we believed her. But not Lucien. He refused to play with us when you started coming along."

"He was a lot older than us, even you," Dracos said.

"But you always wanted to be in his shadow," Marcy said. "God, Dracos, how could you join the guards? How could you give up your art for him!"

"Marcy…"

"Don't tell me it was hard times," she spat. "I don't want to hear that. You're an artist! It's in your soul! It's not something you can just hide away and pick up later. It would be like asking me to put down my crystal and walk away, I would die without it."

"You think I gave up my art?" Dracos said. "You think I gave up everything for Lucien?"

"Didn't you?"

Dracos hit his feet. "Come with me."

He started to walk away and Marcy hesitated. "Where are you going?"

"You'll see," he replied. "Just come."

She followed him down the small dirt road until he cut off to the right suddenly and started down an alleyway. Then the houses disappeared altogether and they were walking through woods. Dracos didn't look back once, but cut a path through the thick trees as if he walked it every day. There was no sound except the wind flowing through the boughs above them and the soft crunch of the leaves under their feet. Finally the trees thinned and they came into a clearing. In the center of the open space was a small building, barely large enough to be a shed. Dracos approached it without stopping and Marcy followed.

The door was locked, but Dracos produced a key from his pocket and undid the latch. He stepped through the small doorway and Marcy followed him into the building. As soon as she was over the threshold she had to stop and gasp.

It smelled of paint and turpentine, acrid and chemical. The light shown through the large windows illuminating the small space., but that wasn't what made her gasp. It was the walls, piled ten deep with canvases on bare wood frames. Most of them were painted, the images ranged from mundane objects, to still life images of people from the village. The colors were vibrant and glowing with life. So much she was afraid to touch them that they might spring from their canvas and slap her.

"Dracos…"

"You're right," he said softly. "It was a part of my soul, one I could never fully give up. But souls change, they grow and learn and adapt, and so my art had to as well."

Marcy stepped up to a frame that leaned against the wall, elevated above the rest on a small easel. It was a charcoal drawing of Cera, standing in profile, one arm cradling her swollen belly in a loving embrace.

"As for the guardsmen's job, Lucien wasn't any happier about it at first than you are now, but I _wanted_ to do it. All my life you were there to protect me, from mom, from bullies, even from Lucien. But when you died…I was alone. I knew I had to learn to fend for myself. But it was more than that Madala, it was…it was my own adventure. For once I was the one fighting dragons and slaying monsters. Maybe it's not as glamorous as being a Tanzetti, but it's what I needed to do. Do you understand that?"

Marcy stood for a moment regarding her brother. No matter how many years had passed, when they were on Calydne he was always her shy little brother. But he wasn't that anymore, he was man, one beyond reckoning, she had just never recognized that in him before.

"Yes, Dracos," she said. "I understand." She turned back to the paintings and looked them over again.

Dracos got up from the table and crossed the far end of the room. Something very tall was hidden under a sheet. He carefully pulled the covering away and Marcy had to gasp again.

"I started this one the day after you arrived," Dracos said. "I wanted to capture him first, before anyone else had a chance."

"Dracos, it's beautiful," Marcy said. On the canvas he'd unveiled was a stunning portrait of Billy. It wasn't finished, mostly outlined, but just a bit of color filled in, but Dracos had captured his essence perfectly on the paper. His square balanced shoulders, his kind eyes, even the slight tilt of his head was so naturally Billy.

"He loves you," Dracos said. "We all see it."

Marcy reached out and lightly brushed her fingers along the portrait Billy's jawline, feeling the exact shape of it under her touch. "I know," she said. "I just can't stand the thought of hurting him."

"And the more you try to protect him, the more you cause him to hurt anyway."

"When did you turn into a fucking Yoda?"

"A what?" Dracos said.

Marcy laughed realizing her mistake. "Nothing," she said. "It's an Earth thing. It's someone who's very wise."

"Well, I don't know about wisdom," Dracos said. "But I do know that if you want to keep your 'Earth thing' you need to stop trying not to hurt him, and start living with him."

Marcy didn't say anything, just nodded. Again she took in the bare bones picture of her lover. Dracos was right, she'd made as many mistakes as he had, more even, because she knew better. It was time to stop being protective and worry about every crack and bump in the road. It was time to stop being afraid he was going to leave her if she wasn't perfect.

"I need to go," she said softly.

"I know," Dracos said. "You can find your way out of here. I'm going to stay a bit, maybe try and finish this before you leave."

Marcy nodded. "Thank you."

Dracos just patted her on the back and walked over to a table and started arranging paints. As she left she heard him chuckle to himself. "Yoda, I like the sound of that."

"You would like it," she said. "It's a story about a boy who wants to have his own adventure."

She heard Dracos chuckle behind her. "And does he?"

She paused at the door and looked back at her brother, standing amid his paintings in the late afternoon light. "Yes he does," she said. "He saves the universe."

*****

Marcy relaxed against the rock and let the dying sun warm her. She was sitting on a cliff on the west end of town watching the sun set over the fields. She knew Billy was standing a few yards behind her in the forest. He hadn't approached yet, but she could feel his presence, his simple nudge at her through their conduit, checking to see if the coast was clear. She wasn't sure if he was aware of it, but she'd called him here. Opening the conduit between them enough that he would know where she was, feel her presence here, but nothing else. He could have sought her out even with the conduit closed, the connection could be muted, but never completely cut off, but she wanted him here right away and she knew he wouldn't be able to resist the pull of her presence after such a long furlough.

She'd chosen this cliff on purpose. It was far enough from the town that they wouldn't be disturbed or overheard, and the view didn't hurt. The sight of the last waves of yellow light dancing across the trees and meadows of the earth below was calming, peaceful. It was that thought she held in her mind when she called out to her bond-mate.

"It's alright," she said. "I'm not going to snap at you if you come over here. I'm tired of fighting."

"It wasn't just fighting I was worried about," his light tenor voice came over the rocks. She smiled at his attempted joke but neither of them really found it funny.

She didn't look over when he sat down next to her and for several serene moments they both just watched the sun and Marcy could almost believe there was a kind of peace between them. His hand reached over and took hers, cautiously at first, but she let her mind open to him at his touch and he pulled the hand onto his own lap.

"I understand now," he said. "Why you were against us bonding."

"I didn't want it to be like this," Marcy said slowly.

"I know," he said. "But…it's not a bad thing. When I was on that mountaintop I gave myself to you completely. I didn't hesitate, I didn't even think, and I don't regret it, even now."

Marcy took a deep breath, fighting the tears that came with his words. Fighting the urge to open their conduit again and let all the emotions pour out.

"You need to stop living like I'm going to regret this one day," Billy said. "That's not going to happen."

Marcy nodded. "I just keep waiting for you to wake up and realize how much you've lost."

A small smile crept across Billy's face. He reached out with one hand and cupped her cheek. "I've gained a lot more."

She blinked and a tear escaped her heavy eyes. Billy wiped it away gently with his thumb, keeping his hand cupped against her face. "We can do this," he said. "I know it's going to be hard, I know I'm going to make a lot of mistakes, but we can do this together."

Marcy nodded. "I'm sorry."

Billy gave a little half smile but looked down when he spoke. Marcy could feel the shift in his consciousness and knew what was coming. His hand dropped away from her face before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, too, about Lucien," he said. "The way I handled things with him…and with you."

"I'm not angry with you about that," she said. "I was, but, I know he manipulated you, both of us. He isn't blameless in this by any means."

"I still should have kept more control," Billy said. "It all just happened so fast."

"It's alright," she said. "You'll learn more control. The powers won't dominate your emotions forever. I should have involved you with my other plans, but I was just so hurt. I needed…it was just too hard to face you after this morning."

Billy nodded understanding. It felt so good to feel his emotions again, to know what he wanted. Marcy hadn't realized how difficult it would be to shut him out. She never wanted to have to do that again.

"I have some ideas," he said, "on how to fix that situation, and the one with Chelea. I'll need your help with them."

"Of course," Marcy said. "I'll do whatever you need."

"What about us?"

She took a shaky breath and let it out. "I just want you to be happy. It was easy when I didn't know this world existed. I could have lived out my life with you and given everything to just you." Her eyes met his again and she could feel him absorbing her thoughts and intentions before she even spoke them. "But I have obligations here, promises that need to be kept. I thought I could still do both but…I don't know. And so do you now. You say you understand why I'm so cautious, but do you really understand the responsibility you've taken on here? The powers bond us to this life, to these people. Even if we go back to earth we'll always feel a pull to come back here. That's how the magic works, it's not just from the planet, its from the people too."

Billy took a deep breath and she felt something rise in the back of his mind, a new thought. Did he already have a solution to this as well? "It won't be like we planned," Billy said. "But I think I have a way that we can still live in both worlds, at least for awhile."

"You do?"

He shifted again, taking her hand in his, and reaching for something with the other. "And it starts with this."

His free hand appeared and Marcy gasped at the small object he held between his fingers and thumb. It was a small ring. A solitary stone set in a thin gold band. The stone looked like a diamond but when Billy moved it she could see glints of pink and blue reflecting off the facets.

"Billy…"

"I love you, and I want us to belong to each other, in every way possible," he said. "When we return to Earth, will you marry me?"

Marcy blinked back the tears. She'd fought it for so long, had so many objections, but in that moment she realized she never really had a choice. It didn't come the way they wanted, or even close to the way they planned, and yet there was only one answer she wanted to give at that moment.

"Yes," she said, returning the use of his full name as he'd done with her. "I will to belong to you, in every way possible."

Their lips met and she felt her hand go around his, the one holding the ring. When he pulled away they paused only long enough for him to slip the unique jewel on her finger before he was kissing her again. All barriers left between them were broken with that kiss, and she felt herself fall back against the hard ground, his hand at her back, protecting her from falling too hard. He was on top of her and she took him in, wrapping her body around his as he pulled her in close.

They laid there several seconds, just holding each other. His forehead rested against hers, and she could feel his breath brush her lips. "No matter what happens between us, no matter how many mistakes we make, no matter how hard things ever get, this…" he pressed his body into hers hard, pulling her tighter so she could feel every inch of him, even though they were still fully clothed, "this, is where I'll always come back too. This is my home now, and that was my choice, and it won't ever change."

"I know," Marcy whispered. Her mouth found his again as the last rays of light disappeared behind the mountain horizon.

*****

** Thanks for reading! See ya next week. Heads up, next chapter will likely contain lemons, hope that's not a problem ;) And don't forget to review!!!**


	10. Remade

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al

I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.

*****

**Warning: Lemons at the end of the scene. If you aren't familiar with that term or the content warnings of this story please see the first chapter before proceeding. Otherwise, enjoy!**

*****

They ended up missing dinner. It was well past dark when they finally made it down the street to Katrin's home. Billy held Marcy's hand, the one with the special ring on it, as they ran through the streets laughing like children in the darkness. He'd told her everything while they were on the cliff, all about his talk with Katrin and his plan with Lucien. There had been a few holes in the design that she was quickly able to fill with her knowledge of how the government system worked here. It would take some doing, but they were both fairly confident they could make everything work the way the wanted, assuming the other parties involved would agree to it.

Marcy turned just as they reached the threshold and pulled him in for a kiss. He intended to kiss her gently, savoring the moment, but she had other plans and they ended up pressed against the doorframe, making out like teenagers.

He was so into her he jumped back three feet when the door suddenly flew open, bathing the street in sharp yellow light. It took a second for his eyes to adjust, and focus on the dark silhouette of Katrin in the doorway.

"Finally," she said. "I wasn't going to wait all night."

Then she turned, her dark hair swirling loose around her shoulders, and headed back into the house, leaving the door open for them. Marcy gave him a guilty look then reached for his hand again before entering the house. They didn't make it much further before Katrin was on them again.

"I've made a decision," she announced. "I'm moving to Dracos and Cera's until the baby comes. You two will stay here. I don't care if you want to have your little spat, there are plenty of bedrooms so you can be separate right under the same roof." She picked up a full leather satchel and swung it over her shoulder.

"That won't be necessary, Mother," Marcy said and Katrin's eyes went immediately to their intertwined hands.

"Well," she said. "That makes it easier. Have fun then."

Then she walked to the door and shut it behind her without another word. Billy just stood motionless, starring at the door in disbelief. It wasn't until he felt Marcy's arms around his shoulder that he came back to reality.

"All alone with the house to ourselves," she whispered quietly in his ear. "Why don't you go build us a fire?"

She released him and sauntered into the kitchen area without looking back. Billy headed for the living room. He'd never built a fire before, at least not inside. They had a fireplace at his old house, but he and his dad had never used it. Still, he figured it wasn't that difficult and the fireplace in Katrin's house was obviously well used. The large stone outcropping was well scorched and held ashes from a very recent fire. Everything he needed was there, wood and kindling, even a flint stone, which he'd only seen used on TV.

Still, it was pretty easy to figure out and within a few minutes he had a nice little blaze going on the hearth. Marcy was still in the kitchen, he could hear her moving around, humming to herself as he sat back on the hearthrug. It was late summer in the village, but the nights were still cold in the small houses that lacked most of the modern conveniences he was used to. The fire was comforting and he leaned back on his hands and closed his eyes letting the heat wash away tension in his body.

He felt Marcy's approach as she came near the hearth. He kept his eyes closed, just feeling her movements through their connection. There was a soft thud as she set something on the stone near the fire and another sound like water sloshing. He opened his eyes and saw her leaning over a small pot of water. She had a large brown sponge in her hand, squeezed tight in her fist as water rained back into the pot.

"Take off your shirt," she said. She looked up and the fire caught a glint in her eyes. "It's tradition."

"You're going to wash me?" he joked.

She gave him a half smile and knelt in front of him, straddling his outreached legs. "They don't have ritual baths on Earth?"

He returned the smile and obeyed, tossing his shirt to the side. The instant the warm sponge touched his skin he shivered. Marcy laughed, but didn't stop, letting the water run down his chest in small rivulets.

She was slow, and efficient, and it was pure torture. Only her hands touched him, smoothing the water over his bare skin with the soft sponge. Her mind was on her work, purposely ignoring the curves of his body that attracted her not to mention the barrage of tainted thoughts that rolled through his mind at her every touch. The smile on her face spoke volumes about how much she was enjoying this.

She finished with his chest and stood up, crossing behind him, pausing a moment at the water pot to refresh the sponge. She'd scented the water with something, lavender maybe, and vanilla? He couldn't be sure, since coming here he'd discovered several tastes and smells similar to things found on Earth, but not quite. Whatever it was, the heat of the water and flames filled the room with the scent and he felt himself relax with each breath.

As she moved the soft bristles down his arm she leaned close and he could feel her cool breath on his neck. He shivered again and he so wished she would kiss him. He wanted to grab her arm and pull down on the rug and devour her until he couldn't take it anymore, but he held back. There was a soft chuckle behind him and he knew she'd just felt everything he'd been thinking.

Finishing her ministrations on his back, she moved in front of him again and reached for the thong of his pants. The smallest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She peeked up at him as she pulled the leather cord away, then the cloth of his pants. She reached back and refreshed the sponge before continuing, smile gone, she went back to work washing his legs and feet, ignoring the obvious signs he could no longer hide.

Finally, she was finished, and replaced the sponge, but Billy already had a plan. He reached for the bucket and took the soft puff in his hand. "Your turn," he said.

He gave her the same treatment she'd served him. He only touched her when he needed to, washing her soft skin slowly. His body was aching for her by this point, but he fought it and continued the ritual. Her skin glowed in the firelight and she leaned back on her hands, letting him work quietly, opening herself up to him. He was tempted more than once to break the rhythm of his work, but he didn't. She'd made it through this little ritual, so could he.

One by one he washed her legs. That was always his favorite thing about her. Some men liked breasts, or ass, but Billy always admired a woman's legs, and Marcy's were exceptional. They were strong, and sculpted perfectly. All he could think about as the sponged loved over her skin was how good it would feel to have those perfect legs wrapped around him.

That thought pretty much ended whatever control he'd been hanging on to and he moved behind Marcy with his lips on her neck. She shifted back and he looped an arm around her and pulled her into his lap.

The warmth of her skin against his was ecstatic. His mind was completely open to hers, he knew exactly what she was feeling, how each touch thrilled her, and what she craved him to do next. He let his hands play along the skin across her stomach and down to her legs. She sighed and her legs trembled when he ran a hand along her palm down the inside of her thigh. He kissed her neck as his hand traveled down her leg to her core.

"Billy…" Her voice was barely a whisper as he touched her, parting her gently. He loved the sound of her voice, even though it was completely unnecessary. He could feel every emotion coming from her, he felt the pleasure of every touch as if it were happening to him. One of the beautiful things about their connection, he could feel each climax with her without succumbing to his own. But hearing his own name in her voice was a pleasure he couldn't give up, even with everything else.

Somewhere in his mind he knew he couldn't wait anymore. He fell back against the soft hearthrug and Marcy was on top of him, then they were together and it was all over. He surrendered to her completely as she took him, felt nothing but her pleasure and his own reflected back between them. They moved together fluidly, not even fully aware of what position they were in or who was doing what, just lost in each other until they reached a breaking point, the ultimate release for them both.

He held her close for a long time after, she lay against his chest, with the fire crackling in the background and for the first time he could remember, he felt at home.

*****

** Whoohoo! Back after a very long hiatus. I am back to writing, can't guarantee an FFF yet because I've had several other original projects to work on and a writer's conference coming up where I'll be attempting to get my first novel into the hands of an agent! Also, I have started publishing some of my original work on my newsblog site because they now have a place for poetry and fiction, I've put the link as my homepage so check it out!**

** One other very special announcement: The one year anniversary of the first posting of Tanzetti is the 22****nd**** of April and I am planning a large multi-chapter update. It's also rumored a few fans may be contributing some work for the occasion so stick around and get ready, there's a ton of great stuff on the way!!**


	11. Child of Wonder

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al**

**I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.**

*****

** Hello wonderful fans! Sorry for the delay, but it is the one year anniversary of the first publication of Tanzetti so I thought a little celebration was in order. I have three very special chapters in store for you. Special thank you to all the loyal fans who've read this far, I look forward to finishing this project with you all.**

*********

Marcy woke to the sun shining in from the windows. She was on her back, the fur blanket pulled up to her neck. She was aware of Billy's warm body curled next to hers, one arm draped over her hips and his head buried in her shoulder. The next thing she was aware of was that there was someone else in the house.

The intruder was in the kitchen, and doing very little to hide their footsteps on the hard floors. Marcy shifted a bit under the blanket and moved her hand to Billy's face. Keeping her thoughts calm she slid her palm over his mouth. He jumped awake but felt her thoughts quickly and calmed down. Their clothes were scattered in front of the fireplace, so there was no way she could get to her knife without alerting whoever was approaching from the kitchen.

She moved her hand to the top of the blanket so she could aim her powers best. Billy adjusted this own arm, moving it from around her waist to up by her shoulder. He could control his lightening well enough to shoot inside the house, but he'd let her try first because she was still more accurate. She could see the silhouette of the person, whoever it was, as they rounded the chairs, a few more steps and they would be in view. The power built in her hand, hot potential energy waiting to be released.

The shadow moved into view and Marcy hesitated only long enough to see his face, and it was a good thing she did.

"Davin?"

Her childhood friend and playmate stood over them at the edge of the hearthrug, holding an apple in his hand.

"Cripes, you didn't even make it to the bed? That's really pathetic, you know," he said before taking a large noisy bite of an apple.

Marcy reached behind her head and grabbed the first pillow she could get a grip on and threw it at Davin. He moved to the side, narrowly avoiding being hit straight in the head.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Marcy demanded. "I could have killed you."

Davin just shrugged and took another bite of apple, chewing it thoroughly before answering. "You're mother sent me. Said you'd feed me breakfast if I came."

"Feed you...why did she send you?"

"Cera's in labor. Are there any biscuits left?" He turned and headed back to the kitchen

Marcy felt her jaw drop and she started to stand up. It was the cold draft on her bare skin, and a warning hand from Billy around her waist that reminded her once again that her clothes were on the other side of the hearth. Standing wasn't an option, so she settled for yelling.

"When did she go into labor?"

Another shrug from Davin. "Sometime in the night. When I showed up for breakfast your mother already had the room prepped and everything."

"She spent the night there last night to prepare," Marcy said dryly. "She always had a good instinct about these things."

"Yup," Davin answered. "So what are you making for breakfast?"

Marcy glared at Davin and once again had to be held back by Billy to avoid standing. "Get in the kitchen, Davin. I need to get dressed." _So I can kill you_.

*****

The house was truly bustling when Billy and Marcy arrived an hour later. It seemed half the village had come out for the occasion. At least twenty people were stuffed into Draco's small house, all moving about with great excitement. Everyone smiled when Marcy and Billy entered and they immediately were directed to the back bedroom. Davin's report was quite accurate; Cera was indeed in full labor. She, Katrin and several other women, most of whom Billy didn't recognize were gathered in the bedroom, ministering to the very-soon-to-be mother. When Marcy entered the small room Cera's face lit up.

"You're here!" she said between pants of breath. "I was so worried you'd be too busy to come."

"I'm never too busy for family," Marcy said smoothly. She glided into the room as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Billy held back by the door, not sure where his appropriate spot was, but he was sure it was not in this room. As Marcy continued her visage with the other women Billy found his eyes wandering until he spotted Dracos sitting in the far corner, next to the bed, looking about as useless as he felt.

"William, why don't you give Dracos a break?" someone said suddenly. Billy turned and found the source of the voice, Katrin of course, standing next to him.

"It's going to be a few more hours yet and Cera needs to rest," she said. "We'll come get you if anything changes."

Billy just nodded dumbly and waited while Dracos staggered across the room and out the door. Back in the living area things hadn't slowed down much. Dracos just stopped and stared at the crowd. His pale face looked distant and confused.

"Do you want something to eat?" Billy asked. "Or you should rest too? I'm sure you've been up a long time…"

Dracos shook his head. "Can we just…go outside?"

"Sure," Billy said. He wasn't usually anxious in a crowd, but for some reason there was a level of expectation in the room that made him uncomfortable, he couldn't imagine what it must be like for Dracos. He put a hand on his brother in law's shoulder and slowly guided him out the back door. Luckily, no one else seemed to notice or feel the need to follow.

Dracos took a seat on a small wooden bench near the edge of the house. (describe the porch) Billy had never been in the backyard before and he noticed it was quite lovely. There was a small pathway that lead out the door and across the yard right to the treeline. Billy couldn't see perfectly, but it looked like the path continued through the trees and into the woods themselves.

He sat down next to Dracos and again the man didn't look at him. It was silent for a long time and Billy wasn't sure what the appropriate thing to say was, so he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you excited?"

Draco's eyes flickered and it was like he'd returned to his body from elsewhere. "Excited? Yeah, I guess…I mean of course…I just…"

"Scared?" Billy supplied. It seemed the logical next step.

Dracos reacted to that. His head fell into his hands and his body visibly shook. "It's horrible isn't it? Why should I be scared?"

"It's only natural," Billy said. "You're bringing a child into this world. Someone you have to raise and care for and provide for. Why would that not scare anyone?"

Dracos looked up at Billy. "Lucien has three you know, kids? I saw every one of them born, and he was so calm. Like a stone. He smiled the whole time, and said the right things, and…I just always thought it would be that easy."

Billy bit his lip to contain a scoff. He put his hand on Dracos's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Everyone deals with fear in a different ways. Just because Lucien is good at hiding his doesn't mean he wasn't scared."

He also thought it meant Lucien was a posing jackass, but he didn't thing that would be appropriate to say at the moment. "Don't compare your reactions to his, no one else will, I'm sure. No one is going to blame you for not being perfect."

Dracos smiled, but Billy could tell it was forced. Still it was progress and Billy really hoped he was saying the right thing.

"Ever since you arrived Cera's been so happy," he said. "She said it was a blessing that the Tanzetti would be here for the birth of our child. Like it was good luck or something. I always just smiled and laughed, I thought it was silly, but…I'm really glad you're here."

This time Billy smiled. "Look, I don't know anything about this, about having a child…I can't even think about that, but you have been a great friend to me since I got here. No one else welcomed me the way you did, and I really appreciate that. I think that you're going to be a great father."

Draco's smile went from forced to genuine. "I should get back," he said. "Cera…"

"Go on," Billy said. He felt like he should say something else, like good luck, or something but none of the standard platitudes seemed right so he just smiled as his friend re-entered the house. Then he sat back on the bench for a few minutes, enjoying the cool of the morning air and the quiet of the small garden. He knew it was probably the last moment of peace he'd get all day, and he wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

* * * * *

Billy tried hard to just stay out of the way. Most of the women were taking turns sitting with Cera or Dracos, or running errands for Katrin, who ordered things around like the headmistress of a well-run school. No one questioned her authority, no one needed to.

Billy found himself sitting on the couch in the living room, being quite useless. There was a small group of children playing some game he didn't recognize on the floor in front of the hearth. It involved several hand-drawn cards and an odd shaped die.

Suddenly he felt something brush his leg and jumped, seeing Chelea standing in front of him. Her large brown eyes were full on his in that soft gaze she had. She was holding a book. Without a word she climbed onto the couch next to him and put the book in his lap. It was worn and the once glossy cover was now faded and peeling, but he could see from the picture it was a book about planets.

"Is this about the planetary system around Caldyne?" he asked.

Chelea nodded. She opened the cover and Billy saw the vibrant picture on the title page, the space view of a large blue-green planet that was familiar enough to bring a twinge to his stomach.

He turned the page and more pictures of the planetary system covered it. He read the narrations out loud, but softly, so that only Chelea could hear them. She pointed to various pictures and views as he read. There were six planets in the Caldyne system, and like Earth's system, only Caldyne and two of its four moons were inhabitable places for several light years.

When he finished the book he closed it and looked at Chelea. She was staring at him, her face expressionless, but her eyes were soft, less intense, and he took that as a good thing. It must be so hard for her, he thought. Not being able to touch anyone without feeling everything they were feeling, not being able to speak about what was going on with her, no one around to help her understand it…

"Do you want to see the planet I'm from?" he asked.

Her eyes got wide and she nodded. There was a small art kit someone had set out for the children and some loose paper. He took a piece of paper and charcoal pencil and carefully drew the nine planets in sequence. He wasn't the best artist, but he'd been drawing the solar system since he was four and it required very little detail. He wrote the name of each planet next to it, saying the name out loud as he did.

When he was done he handed the picture to her and she looked at it for several long seconds, then set it back in his lap. Her thin olive-toned finger touched the crude drawing of Earth.

"Grandmother says you're taking me back with you," she said softly. "Father says he's going to stop you."

Billy swallowed hard. He knew that was the threat Marcy had made to Lucien, that she would take Chelea so she could train her. She must be so scared, to have two strangers come and suddenly want to take her away from the only life she's ever known.

"No one's going to make you do anything you don't want to," Billy said cautiously.

Then little Chelea did the last think he expected. She threw her arms around him and squeezed his neck tight. "Please take me with you," she whispered. "I don't want to stay here."

Billy was speechless. He didn't know what to say, so he just placed one hand on her back reassuringly. His eyes scanned the room, suddenly self-conscious of what others may be thinking when his eyes landed on Marcy's.

*****

"Why is she so drawn to him? I don't get it."

Marcy shifted her weight against the counter as Dracos moved next to her. It was hour eight and she could feel from the gentle nudge he gave her that he was already exhausted.

"He's not afraid of her," Marcy answered. "Everyone else here knows what she can do or at least that she's different and the first thing they feel is fear. Billy doesn't. He's used to it so he doesn't blanch from her touch. He's the first person to see her, not what she represents."

"We weren't that way to you, were we?"

Marcy smiled and looked down at the worn countertop. "Some people where. At first it's hard; people don't want to get to close because they can't hide from you. But in the end, the fear is a good thing, it makes people respect you, and listen. You just have to know when to use it to your advantage, and when not to."

She kept her gaze on Billy and saw Chelea shift suddenly and throw her arms around Billy's neck.

"What are you going to do about her?" Dracos asked.

Billy's eyes crossed the room and met hers. Even from this distance she could feel his apprehension. She knew what question he was asking himself, and now his eyes were asking her.

"I don't know."

*****

**Hope you're enjoying! Two more chapters to go. Don't forget, as always reviews are welcome anytime. Now on with the story!**


	12. Inheritance

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al**

**I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.**

*****

It was early evening when one of the girls came to the kitchen to fetch Marcy. It was hour twelve and things had slowed down the last few hours. People still came and went, checking in for news, but it wasn't as crowded in the small house.

When Marcy reached the door of the main bedroom Katrin was waiting outside for her. She could hear sounds from inside that sounded a lot like painful cries and she felt her stomach clench.

"We're close," Katrin said matter-of-factly. Marcy has always been amazed at how her mother could break down a situation with the simplicity of reciting a grocery list. It must be an acquired skill from working with injured people for so long. You couldn't become attached, but you also couldn't help caring far more than you should. This was her mother's compromise.

"What's wrong?" Marcy asked. She knew from the sounds coming from the small room and the look in her mother's eyes there was more to it.

"She's beginning to panic," Katrin said. "She's exhausted, scared and in pain. I need you to help her."

"What can I do?"

Katrin's eyes narrowed just a bit. "Read the baby."

Marcy almost scoffed. "You're kidding right? That's not possible."

"Then lie," Katrin said. Her tone was firm, almost an order. "Pretend, whatever. She needs something."

"I can't-"

"You will," Katrin said. "Figure something out. Please, Madala."

Marcy stopped then. She couldn't remember, ever in her seventy plus years of life her mother asking her to use her powers for a personal gain. Even now, she wasn't asking for herself, but for a loved one. For her daughter, the only one she'd been able to care for the last ten years.

"I'll figure something out," Marcy said. Then she stepped around Katrin and only paused a second when she heard the whispered "Thank you" behind her before entering the room.

The room was small, but comfortable, and Cera was settled on the bed, propped up partially to one side to give the baby more air. She didn't need her gift to feel the tension in the room.

"It's close," Cera said weakly when Marcy took a seat next to her. "I don't know if I can do this."

Marcy smiled softly. "Lie on your back. I want to try something."

"Is something wrong?"

"Not at all," she said. "Just…an experiment."

The younger woman complied and Marcy slowly moved down the blankets to reveal the smooth stretched skin underneath. With no confidence at all that this would yield anything, she slid her hands over the skin, feeling an immediate connection to Cera. The emotional turmoil hit her like a rush of floodwater and she barely kept herself from flinching. She hadn't read anyone in a long time, and the last person had been Tommy, who had one of the most focused minds she'd ever encountered. Cera was at the other end of the spectrum. It took several seconds for her to fully sort through the bombardment of thoughts and scattered emotions, but she did and soon they were flowing freely over her. But it was all Cera. She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping for, maybe to be able to detect that second, not quite active mind inside her. She stifled a sigh not sure what she was going to say, but she moved her hands slowly, preparing to break the connection when her body seized.

White light was everywhere, it flashed inside her mind with blinding force but she couldn't look away. In the midst of the light was a man, he had a square set jaw and broad shoulders that arched back from training in combat. His hair was the fairest blonde, just like his mother, and cut at sharp angles around a face that was unmistakably Salana family.

It was a shock to see someone else wearing Jaden's uniform, but there was no mistaking it either. Marcy wanted to instinctively reach out for it, and the second she moved the vision disappeared as quickly as it had come. There were voices all around her but they made no sense until she felt a hand on her shoulder and a distinctly different consciousness filled her mind.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

Marcy took a deep breath and placed a hand over the one that gripped her bicep. "I'm fine," she said, her voice betraying none of the shaking she was feeling. Billy could feel it and she felt him tug her gently to get her to move, but she didn't respond to him. Instead she reached out and took Cera's hand, firmly blocking what she could from the woman to avoid another vision so soon.

"It's a boy," she said softly. "He'll be strong and healthy. He will make everyone proud, you have my word."

Suddenly weak, Marcy leaned back against her bondmate and allowed him to guide her to a corner in the room. Things began happening by the bed, but Marcy paid no attention, she simply clung to the wall, trying to remember when her life had ever been this complicated.

"Did you see it?"

"I didn't see anything," Billy answered. "I felt…something. I can't explain it."

"That child," Marcy said, her voice now betraying her as it shook harder than her own body. "He's going to be the next leader of the Tanzetti. The power will be reborn."

She looked up at Billy's soft blue eyes, her own on the brink of tears. "We can't leave them," she said. "We brought this power back. We have to take responsibility for it. What are we going to do?"

Without a word Billy pulled her close, her own sobs drowned out by the sound of laughter and cheers, and the cry of a newborn child.

*****

The night air had grown cool. The house had calmed in the hour after the birth, everyone taking their leave for their own evening preparations, and giving the new parents a chance to rest and bond alone.

Billy had stayed as close to Marcy as he could. She was quiet, only responding when people asked her. When she congratulated Cera and Dracos it had been in a soft polite tone, but he'd felt the fear underneath. She had walked out of the house soon after, to the back porch, overlooking the garden.

"Are we going to talk about this?" he asked finally.

Marcy was standing in the far corner of the porch, right against the railing but not leaning on it. Her eyes were distant, following the gathering darkness.

"I don't know what to say."

Billy felt himself smile. "That's a first."

"We shouldn't have come back here," Marcy said. "This is our fault."

"You didn't ask for the Tanzetti to be reborn here," Billy said. "You didn't know-"

"And I never would have known," Marcy said. "No one would have. They would have lived our lives in peace and the crystals would have dies with us."

And odd thought crossed Billy's head. "It wouldn't have made a difference. The spirits said the Tanzetti would be reborn through us. If this colony didn't exist our children would have been born with the power."

He saw Marcy's head look away, the second the though flicked through her mind, too quickly for her to stop it.

"Oh," he said out loud. "How long were you going to wait to tell me that?"

"I thought you would understand."

Billy let out a sigh of frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't want to fight; this was a discussion best left for another time, but no matter how many times he told himself that now it was all he could do to keep from screaming.

"It doesn't make a difference now," Marcy's voice cut off the flow of his thoughts.

"Why not?" Billy asked hitting his feet. He crossed the porch in a few short strides and stopped within arms reach of Marcy. "We can stay here. I can settle things on Earth easily enough and this could be our home. There's plenty of time…shouldn't this make it easier-"

"Chelea." She spoke the name rough and then it clicked in Billy's head. "There is no time. Sometime in the next twenty years, I'm going to die. I won't bring a child into that just to abandon it. I can't Billy. If your mother had known she was going to die would she still have had you?"

"That's not fair," Billy said.

"You're right, it's not. I'm sorry."

Marcy turned away, taking hold of the corner post, keeping her eyes on the gathering darkness. His chest still ached with the pain he was holding inside. But he couldn't lash out at her now. Their infamous connection proved his folly once again, because despite her determination, he also felt her grief. He knew without asking she wasn't making this decision lightly. That she regretted the cards she was dealing him the same as everything else in his life she'd changed.

Suddenly she turned and faced him, the light from the windows of the house was barely enough to see her face clearly, but he knew every line and curve so well that was all he needed. Her eyes were glinting and he knew they were close to tears.

"You have to understand," she said. "It's not that I don't want a family, but I have a responsibility to my powers, to everything. Can you even imagine what we're in for? You're still going to have your powers when I die. You're going to be left with a team of Tanzetti to train and guide, without me, and with a child? No. I can't do that to you, or to our family. Please understand."

Billy just nodded. "I understand. You're right." _As much as it hurts, you're right_.

A single tear fell down her cheek and Billy instinctively reach up and wiped it away. He held his hand on her cheek and stroked it softly for a few seconds then leaned in a placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "It will be okay," he said softly. "We'll figure it out. As long as we're together it will be okay."

He saw her nod then she leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. His hand stroked her back softly in the darkness, where no one could see the tears fall.

*****

**Hope you are enjoying! One more chapter left of your Anniversary Special post! Enjoy, and don't forget to review!!**


	13. Serpent's Snare

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Power Rangers they are owned by Saban/Disney et. al**

**I do however own all things Tanzetti and reserve the right to reuse them as I please.**

*****

The sun was just coming up over the forest and the air was still cool enough to sting in Billy's chest as he trailed Dracos through the mist covered trees.

"Are you sure about this?" He said as he caught up to his brother's quick pace. "Shouldn't you be back with Cera?"

"I told you, it's tradition to hunt a deer the day after your first child is born," Dracos said. "It's a tribute to your family."

Billy jumped to dodge a tree root, then quickly fell in step beside Dracos. The two men walked in silence a bit more then Dracos stopped suddenly, and looked through the trees. Billy stood still and listened, he could hear the distant sound of running water and knew they must be near the spring. Dracos turned and looked back over his shoulder, meeting Billy's eyes with a smile. He pointed in the direction of the spring and Billy quietly stepped around him and saw it, a large buck about a hundred yards away, it's large horns glinting in thin rays of sunlight that came through the canopy.

Dracos raised his bow and took aim. Billy stood back as the arrow flew. It hit the buck square in the neck and the beast fell immediately. Dracos let out a laugh and ran to his prize, Billy only steps behind.

"Perfect!" he said looking at the beast.

"It's huge," Billy said coming to a stop beside him. "How are you going to get it back to town?"

Dracos scoffed. "What do you think I brought you for?"

Billy shot Dracos a scowl and smacked him playfully on the shoulder. Dracos laughed and returned the slap, before leaning over the beast to maneuver it out of the mud. Billy swatted down to help laughing as well, when suddenly Dracos moved and he found himself facedown in the riverbank. Before he could blink there was a loud whine and something exploded nearby.

"What was that?" Billy asked.

Dracos's weight shifted so that he could sit up. He scanned the surrounding forest but everything was quiet. He could see the large patch of scorched earth only inches from where he'd been before Dracos pulled him away.

"There!" whispered Dracos. The young warrior was on his feet, his bow out. "Stay here, I'll go around and try to cut them off."

"No!" Billy said. "I should go, all you have is your bow, I can use my powers if they fire again."

Dracos opened his mouth to object, but then just nodded and pointed in the direction of whatever he'd seen. Billy moved through the brush as quietly as he could, moving slow and listening, but he didn't see or hear anything unusual. He moved through a patch of reeds and ended up stepping into the river. The mud was deep and he had to maneuver for several seconds before he got a good footing on the bank and pull himself up. He scanned the bank for Dracos. His brother sat on the bank, bow ready, watching the forest. Billy moved again, a little further down the bank, when he heard the sound, a very familiar sound of a magic fireball. The explosion knocked him off balance and he slipped into the water just as he heard Dracos cry out.

"Dracos!" Billy screamed as he pulled himself from the freezing water. He could no longer see Dracos on the bank. He tripped over the soft ground but only made it a few steps before something struck him on the back so hard he flew through the air then rolled several feet before coming to a stop face up, the quickly brightening sun of the canopy shining down into his face. There was a sound of heavy footsteps and a growl that sounded menacing, and vaguely familiar, then a large shadow blocked out the light, revealing a face he was sure he'd never see again.

"Well, well…what have we here? A little Ranger caught on his own."

"Goldar?"

"Oh, I've been waiting a long time for this," the golden monkey said. Then he shifted his stance and everything went dark.

*****

**Did you REALLY think I wouldn't leave you with an evil cliffhanger? REALLY? **

** I hope you all enjoyed this special Tanzetti Anniversary tribute. Please, please review. We aren't far from the end now, thanks again for all the support and readership. I'll write more again soon!!**


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